Do Mosquitoes Use Human Blood to Reproduce?
WouterSeveral studies have been conducted to determine whether mosquitoes use human blood to reproduce. In these experiments, blood meal was given to adult female mosquitoes in order to assess the hematological and physiological properties of the females. Various hematological parameters were measured including hemoglobin level, red blood cell diameter, hematocrit, plasma protein content and oocyte yolk deposition into oocytes. The results showed that different groups of anautogenous mosquitoes differ in their hematological and physiological responses to the commercial blood.
A blood meal provides mosquitoes with nutrients required for the egg formation process. It has been suggested that the quantity of the blood meal ingested influences the number of eggs that the females lay. This is because the volume of the blood meal is important in determining the proportion of hatching and mature eggs.
The quality of the blood meal also plays a role in the mosquito’s ability to produce eggs. The components of the blood have been found to affect the development of eggs, specifically ovarian ecdysteroidogenesis and egg formation.
The study investigated the effects of ABO blood groups on the reproductive potential of female mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti Linnaeus is a global vector of dengue viruses. Aedes aegypti is a generalist feeder, which means it bites multiple vertebrates. However, it has been reported that Aedes aegypti lays fewer eggs when it is fed on animal blood.
In order to identify the hematological and physiological responses of female mosquitoes to blood, the study used electroantennography bioassays. During the first hour after a bloodmeal, the females excrete blood-derived water. At 120 h post-feeding, the females were dissected to collect the eggs held in the ovaries. The eggs were counted and washed in water twice.
