Can Mosquitoes Drink Too Much Blood?
WouterUntil recently, the answer to the question, “can mosquitoes drink too much blood?” was not clear. Scientists were trying to understand the anatomy of a mosquito bite for decades. They used powerful microscopes to help gather details about the feeding system.
One study found that female mosquitoes drink about five millionths of a liter of blood in a single serving. They can also lay about 100 eggs at a time. The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which originated from sub-tropical Africa, buzzes at dusk. It lays its eggs in shallow stagnant water.
Aedes aegypti transmits the dengue virus, which takes 12 days to complete its life cycle. The study’s authors hope that their research will lead to new insect repellents that can help protect humans from mosquito-borne disease.
Male mosquitoes have the ability to pierce through an artificial membrane and ingest blood. Researchers are exploring whether the mosquitoes can discern nectar from blood.
In the study, Dr Stott-Ross tested the hypothesis that blood ingestion is controlled by abdominal stretch receptors. Female mosquitoes can drink too much blood and are rendered incapable of flying.
Female mosquitoes have a long mouth part, which they use to pierce the skin. They then secrete saliva into the bloodstream. Then, they look for a safe place to process the meal.
They can only ingest a small amount of blood at a time. An average human has 5.5 million microliters of blood. The same amount of blood fed to a female mosquito is equivalent to a 12-gallon smoothie.
