Influence of Plant Abundance on Nectar Feeding by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Southern Mexico

Jose Alejandro Martinez-Ibarra*, Mario H. Rodriguez, Juan I. Arredondo-Jimenez, Boaz Yuval

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

The availability of flowering plants affected the sugar feeding rates of female Aedes aegypti (L.) in 4 areas of a small city in southern Mexico. The proportion of mosquitoes containing sugar varied from 8 to 21% in 4 areas in direct relation to blooming plant abundance. Human density was similar in the 4 areas (range, 3.9-5.4 per house), whereas the number of flowering plants per house increased on the outskirts (range, 3.1-5.4 plants per house). Equal proportions of sugar positive females were nulliparous or parous, indicating similar sugar feeding at any age. In addition, nearly 60% of positive females were at the Christophers stage II, indicating a greater need for flight fuel during the early stages of egg development. We conclude that Ae. aegypti feeds frequently on nectar and that this activity is modulated by nectar availability.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)589-593
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Medical Entomology
Volume34
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1997

Keywords

  • Aedes aegypti
  • Mexico
  • Sugar feeding ecology

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