Juvenile hormone induction of biting behavior in culex mosquitoes

Juvenile hormone deprivation caused by surgical removal of corpora allata shortly after adult emergence blocked the initiation of biting behavior in Culex. pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus. Reimplantation of corpora allata or injection of a synthetic juvenile hormone (JH-I) corrected the juvenile hormone deficiency and restored biting behavior. Ovariectomy experiments demonstrated that this behavioral effect of juvenile hormone was independent of ovarian involvement.