Do Mosquitoes Eat Sugar and Blood?
WouterWhether mosquitoes eat sugar and blood is a fundamental characteristic of their life cycle. This review focuses on the role of sugar feeding in the life cycle of mosquitoes and how it affects their behavior.
Most mosquito species need blood for laying eggs, but some genera have evolved to feed solely on plants. Mosquitoes detect sugar sources using olfactory cues. They can also discriminate between rich and poor sugar sources. In laboratory strains, they prefer plant sources with a higher protein content.
There is some evidence that sugar-poor environments can limit mosquito populations. However, there is no definitive proof that sugar availability varies in nature enough to influence mosquito populations. Some studies have shown that female mosquitoes bite more often in these environments. Other researchers have suggested that conditions force females to feed on other hosts, which may limit their population.
The Asian tiger mosquito is a ferocious disease transmitter, and it closely associates with humans. Its ability to transmit yellow fever, dengue fever, and Zika virus makes it a formidable problem. It is also difficult to suppress. In a recent study, Yu et al. (2016) found that Cx. quinquefasciatus males had a higher sugar content than their female counterparts. They did not find any significant differences in sugar levels between fall samples and those from the spring.
Another study found that female mosquitoes fed on powdered sugar had a better response to blood than those that had not. The authors noted that the females ate more blood after feeding on powdered sugar. The authors did not explain how the powdered sugar was presented to the mosquitoes.
