Occurrence of rickettsia-like symbionts among species of the Aedes scutellaris group (Diptera:Culicidae).

Rickettsia-like organisms were seen by electron microscopy in the oocytes and nurse cells of Aedes hebrideus and A. scutellaris scutellaris and in the oocytes of A. pseudoscutellaris, a Samoan stock of A. polynesiensis and in three Fijian stocks of A. polynesiensis. None were found in the ovaries of A. alcasidi, A. s. katherinensis, A. cooki nor in a second stock of Samoan A. polynesiensis. It is suggested that the distribution of rickettsia-like symbionts among species of the A. scutellaris group conflicts in some cases with the hypothesis that these organisms are responsible for cytoplasmic incompatibility in the group.