Do Mosquitoes Need Blood to Lay Eggs?

During their lifecycle, female mosquitoes lay eggs in water. In spring, the eggs hatch and the mosquito larva lives in water. After a couple of days, the eggs harden to protect the larva from hostile conditions.

Some mosquito species lay eggs on the water surface, whereas other species deposit their eggs in soil. Both of these strategies tend to produce a large synchronous brood. These are the species that tend to have a higher population density. However, their population numbers vary during different stages of development.

One study has shown that the proportion of hatching eggs after blood feeding is dependent on the source of the blood. Culex quinquefasciatus laid a relatively large number of eggs after consuming avian blood, but a relatively small number after consuming human blood cells. These results suggest that the nutritional value of blood has an important role in mosquito reproduction.

Another study has shown that the presence of ferritin in the egg of Xenopus laevis is induced by endocytosis. Ferritin penetrates the basement membrane of the distal surface of follicle cells. It then passes through channels between adjacent follicle cells. This suggests that iron from transferrin could serve as iron during early mosquito oogenesis. Despite this, further studies are needed to determine the origin of egg ferritin in mosquitoes.

Similarly, Anopheles gambiae laid eggs when it was fed on a blood meal. However, some female mosquitoes prefer to feed on a specific blood type.

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