Can Mosquitoes Drink Cold Blood?
WouterSeveral species of mosquitoes only feed on cold-blooded animals. These include reptiles. However, other mosquito species are attracted to warm-blooded animals. Some mosquitoes prefer a specific kind of animal’s blood, such as human blood.
A team of scientists at The Rockefeller University studied female mosquitoes. They discovered that the insects’ mating history did not affect their ability to drink warm blood. They also found that some mosquitoes have a preference for certain wavelengths in the visual spectrum.
The researchers used an Olympus SP-820UZ digital camera and DCR-DVD 810 Sony Digital camcorder to record the mosquitoes’ blood-feeding behavior. These recordings were published in the journal Science.
Initially, the male mosquitoes were starved for 12 hours. Then they were given either sugar or blood. After four days of testing, the mosquitoes were shown to feed on a dyed sucrose solution for at least four days.
In addition to feeding on nectar, some female mosquitoes need blood to carry out the egg-laying process. They also use their mouths to pierce their hosts’ skin. These piercings are the result of serrated proboscises.
The mosquitoes were then placed in a chamber with a spritz of CO2 to remove long-range signals. They then flew toward a visual stimulus.
The study showed that mosquitoes were attracted to complex combinations of ingredients. This can be useful in developing mosquito repellent drugs. The compounds in these mixtures have antihistamine, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
The researchers also discovered that mosquitoes were attracted to certain compounds on human skin. These compounds are known as terpenoids and flavonoids.
