Comparative fine structure of the eggs of Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, and Ae. bahamensis (Diptera: Culicidae).

Complete descriptions, including details of the micropylar apparatus and outer chorion at the anterior and posterior poles and on the dorsal surface, are given for the eggs of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse and Ae. (S.) aegypti (L.). The egg of Ae. (Howardina) bahamensis Berlin, the first of this subgenus to be examined with the electron microscope, is described for the first time. Certain characters may be useful for differentiating eggs of these three species under a stereomicroscope. The substantially greater egg length in Ae. bahamensis alone separates it from the other two species, at least in the laboratory populations studied. The micropylar collar in Ae. aegypti clearly differentiates it from the other two. Further examination of mixed groups of eggs is needed to determine whether fine structural differences in the outer chorion can be correlated with consistent differences in the stereomicroscopic image.