The research planned for this 1 year grant seeks to answer three questions using the pitcher-plant mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii. 1) How does the average growth rate (size at adulthood + days to reach adulthood) of individuals in a population predict fitness (rc= capacity for increase)? 2) Are growth rate and its underpinnings of size at the time to adulthood heritable traits; are these traits independent or interdependent (genetically correlated)? 3) Can variation in fitness between nearby and distant populations be explained by genes acting independently (additively) or is interaction within genes (dominance) and/or between genes (epistasis) an important component of genetic differentiation of populations? The ability of mosquito populations to transmit disease (their vectorial capacity) depends upon their adult size and longevity, traits which should be predictable from growth rate and its components. Answers to the first two questions will then have application for mosquito control. If, as they suspect, gene interactions are important in population differentiation, isolated populations may be harboring greater genetic variation than is presently appreciated. Answers to the third question will then bear on the recovery of rare or endangered species that persist only as fragmented populations.
