How Much Blood Do Mosquitoes Take?
WouterDuring the 1970s, scientists studied the behavior of mosquitoes and the factors that attract them to human hosts. One experiment investigated the effects of blood feeding on mosquitoes. This was done by placing 10 male mosquito specimens in plastic cups. The cups were positioned on a white net. A camera was set up to record the mosquitoes’ feeding behavior.
Male mosquitoes ingest 0.5 ml of blood. The amount of blood a male mosquito consumes varies depending on the size of the animal. The male proboscises are about the same size as the female proboscises, but the male mandibles are shorter. They have short teeth that allow them to penetrate the skin layers.
Female mosquitoes can consume as much as five millionths of a liter of blood in one meal. They also eat sugars and flower nectar. A female mosquito may lay up to 300 eggs in one blood meal. A female mosquito does not need blood for reproduction, but she needs it for the development of eggs.
Mosquitoes prefer plants with high water content. They also prefer flowers with bright colors. They can also detect blood type antigens in tears and saliva. They also use thermal receptors to locate humans.
In a study in 1974, mosquitoes were found to prefer people with type O blood. This was due to the presence of a protein that attracts mosquitoes. The protein helps the mosquitoes lay their eggs.
Blood and sugar assays performed in cages were performed. A concentration of 10% sugar was maintained in all groups. The blood and sugar mixtures were placed at different positions in the cages.
