Do Mosquitoes Use Your Blood to Reproduce?
WouterBesides causing about 725,000 deaths worldwide, mosquitoes are also vectors of pathogens such as yellow fever and dengue fever. Some species of mosquitoes lay eggs on moist soil or in tree holes.
Mosquitoes have four stages of growth. The first is egg formation, which can take up to five days. After that, the mosquitoes go through a metamorphosis. The next stage is larvae. The larvae feed on microscopic plants and animals in the water. They also secrete saliva into the bloodstream.
The adult mosquitoes subsist on nectar, fruit juices, or plants that produce nectar. These sources of energy provide the mosquitoes with vital nutrients for reproduction and flight. The female mosquitoes of some species can lay up to 500 eggs during their lifetime.
Several studies have investigated the effect of vertebrate blood on the development of the mosquito’s eggs. The researchers noted that the specific responses varied among different hosts. Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles gambiae were studied. The studies showed that the specific proteins present in vertebrate blood affect the production of eggs in each species.
Hematological parameters include red blood cell diameter, hematocrit, plasma protein content, and hemoglobin level. The levels of these factors vary from vertebrate to vertebrate. Moreover, the number of eggs laid by each clutch correlated with the volume of blood ingested.
Some anautogenous mosquitos can blood feed and produce eggs in sequential cycles over a period of 4 to 8 weeks. The specific proteins involved in egg production in these mosquitoes were determined.
