Abstract:
The morphology and life-cycle of Lambornella stegomyiae, a facultative parasitic ciliate of larval Aedes albopictus, were
described. Parasitic and free-living ciliates multiply by transverse binary fission. Free-living ciliates occasionally undergo
conjugation. Infection in larval mosquitoes may be transtadially transmitted to adult stages when larval hosts do not
succumb to the infection. Infected adults are fertile. Besides fertile eggs, female mosquitoes deposit ciliates and infected
eggs during oviposition. Results suggest that L. stegomyiae may survive through droughts in infected Ae. albopictus eggs and
as desiccation resistant cysts.
