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and one-half days less than unfed females, most of their mortality 

 occurring at the time of or shortly after oviposition. Females that 

 survived oviposition and took a second blood meal, lived only slightly 

 longer than unfed females. Death of females at oviposition is one of 

 the most important problems encountered in sand fly colonization. It 

 hampers experiments in which transmission by bite is attempted, and 

 reduces the productivity of the colonies (Ki 1 1 ick-Kendrick, 1978). 

 Retention of gravid females in a high humidity environment 

 significantly reduced the preoviposition period but did not increase 

 the postoviposition longevity. 



Adult longevity figures for Lu. diabolica are considerably 

 shorter than those observed by Chaniotis (1967) in California sand 

 flies under variable conditions of temperature, humidity and food. He 

 concluded that 1) the mean length of life decreases with rising 

 temperature and constant RH, 2) at constant temperature, rising 

 humidity promotes better survival of flies, and 3) the range of 

 survival is broader at low temperatures or high humidity. 



Mating . The epigamic behavior exibited by male Lu. diabol ica is 

 very similar to that described by Chaniotis (1967) in _Lu. vexator and 

 by Alexander (pers. comm., 1984) for Lu_. anthophora . Encounter of the 

 sexes in the laboratory colony usually occurred as they rested on the 

 plaster of Paris wall of the mating chamber. Occasionally they were 

 observed copulating on the host animal while the female fed. In June 

 1982, wild flies were observed in copula on the tile walls of the 

 public latrines at Garner State Park. Chaniotis (1967) suggested that 

 the host may be the principal site where sexes come to close proximity 



