What Do Mosquitoes Do With Blood?

Unlike humans, mosquitoes do not have blood, but they do have hemolymph, a fluid that circulates in their open circulatory system. The fluid transports waste products and immune cells. It also “bathes” mosquito cells, allowing them to absorb nutrients and oxygen.

The amount of blood a mosquito takes depends on its blood type. A female mosquito needs blood to reproduce, but a male mosquito can avoid it. Male mosquitoes’ mandibles are shorter than females’, so they have difficulty reaching blood vessels. However, the length of their maxillae, which function as hooks, is the same.

Mosquitoes’ mouthparts also pierce the skin, allowing them to taste blood. They can detect blood type antigens in saliva and tears.

In addition to blood, mosquitoes also feed on sugar. Interestingly, they prefer type O blood. In fact, they will attack humans with this type of blood. A 1974 study found that mosquitoes prefer to feed on people with this blood.

Studies dating back to the 1920s have looked at the effects of vertebrate blood on egg formation. Specifically, they studied whether certain proteins or specific blood components affect egg formation. Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus all have eggs that are affected by these components.

These studies have also revealed that female mosquito vectors need a blood meal before fertilizing eggs. They cannot reproduce without blood from their vertebrate hosts, but they also cannot synthesize the yolk required to make eggs.

Female mosquitoes also lack the protein needed to synthesize eggs. However, when they are fed whole blood, they produce a significant number of eggs.

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