Detection of insemination status in live Aedes aegypti females

•Presence or absence of sperm in spermathecae is discernible without dissection.•Spermathecae are viewed by phase contrast microscopy through the distended abdomen.•Most females are not adversely affected by the procedure.

Using the technique described in this report, the presence or absence of sperm in spermathecae of female Aedes aegypti is detectable without dissection. Spermathecae of a lightly anesthetized female can be visualized by phase contrast microscopy through the distended abdomen, after the intersegmental membranes are stretched by ventral placement of a glass cover slip. Most females recovered after the procedure were capable of subsequent reproductive activities. Albeit tedious, this technique preserves the female alive for subsequent experiments or observations. Its extension to other mosquito species, or other Diptera and insects, will depend on spermathecal and sperm visibility through the distended abdomen.

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