TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of Plant Abundance on Nectar Feeding by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Southern Mexico
AU - Martinez-Ibarra, Jose Alejandro
AU - Rodriguez, Mario H.
AU - Arredondo-Jimenez, Juan I.
AU - Yuval, Boaz
PY - 1997/11
Y1 - 1997/11
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Aedes aegypti
KW - Mexico
KW - Sugar feeding ecology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031263292&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jmedent/34.6.589
DO - 10.1093/jmedent/34.6.589
M3 - Article
C2 - 9439110
AN - SCOPUS:0031263292
SN - 0022-2585
VL - 34
SP - 589
EP - 593
JO - Journal of Medical Entomology
JF - Journal of Medical Entomology
IS - 6
ER -