[The filaria Dipetalonema dessetae: phenomena of regulation and parasite yield in the Aedes vector].

Numerical observations were made on the various steps of the cycle of Dipetalonema dessetae in Aedes aegypti: -- ingestion of microfilariae: the numbers of the ingested microfilariae correspond to a negative binomial distribution, but the over-dispersion is less important than in the Bancroft's filaria as observed by Pichon; in this last case the microfilariae are thicker and thus are more slowed in the capillari; -- crossing of the stomach wall: the "limitation" is caused by a precociously established stomacal barrier (2nd hour); however, this barrier is not perfect and allows some microfilariae to infiltrate; -- larval development and migration towards the head: in the well fed mosquitoes, all the microfilariae in the hemocoel reach the infective stage, but less rapidly in the heavily infected mosquitoes; 50 per cent of the microfilariae migrate towards the head, not depending with the level of infection. In this couple filaria-vector, the regulation of the transmission is depending nearly exclusively with the stomacal "limitation" and secondarily with different speeds of the development. The feeding of the mosquito -- preimago or adult -- is an essential factor for vector efficiency.