Histopathological changes with age in the flight muscles of the African mosquito, Eretmapodites chrysogaster

Histopathological changes occurred with age in the flight muscles of adult Eretmapodites mosquitoes. There was a loss of nuclei and a decrease in nuclear size, a loss of cross striations in the muscle fibers, a loosening of the sarcostyle network, and an increase in fiber diameter. Such changes did not occur in 2- and 10-day-old mosquitoes; they first were observed in 25-day-old mosquitoes, and increased in frequency and severity with age. Although muscle degeneration may result from a loss of activity, it is suggested that the histopathological lesions described above are caused by senescence.