Whether Mosquitoes Digest Blood
WouterWhether mosquitoes digest blood has been investigated using a variety of methods. These tests include observational studies and chemical tests.
The rate of blood digestion has been studied by Bull and King in 1923, Huff in 1934, Shlenova in 1938, and Hosking and MacInnes in 1948. The studies used a range of blood groups, including blood from humans and mosquitoes.
The results indicated that the rate of digestion varies by mosquito species. It also varies by light to darkness ratio, humidity, and temperature.
The rate of digestion was investigated for Aedes aegypti, Aedes scutellaris, and Aedes concolor. Aedes aegypti is a mosquito species originally from tropical Africa, but now found in many parts of the world. It buzzes at dawn and dusk. It is an essential biomass in the food chain.
Mosquitoes are capable of leaving behind parasites and viruses, so the rate of blood digestion by female mosquitoes is important. It affects the efficiency of mosquitoes as disease transmitters.
The rate of digestion of human blood was investigated for mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes concolor. Alpha-glucosidase activity rose slowly up to 18 h after a blood meal, with greater than 25% of the activity in the anterior midgut lumen.
Female mosquitoes digest blood by secreting enzymes into the gut. These enzymes break down the proteins in the blood. A major primary hydrolytic protease is trypsin. The enzymes are packaged in vesicles and released into the gut. Trypsin is also secreted into the posterior midgut lumen.
