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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200805
Title: Nutrition and survival of Culex spp. (Diptera: Culicidae) on various sugars.

Author
item Vrzal, Erin
item Allan, Sandra - Sandy
item HAHN, DAN - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Kline, Daniel - Dan

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2006
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Culex mosquitoes are important vectors of many diseases including West Nile Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Mosquitoes have been found feeding on nectar as a source of nutrition as well as an aid for long-term survival. Culex nigripalpus Theobold, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Culex salinarius Coquillet were presented with seven different 5% sugar solutions. The sugars range from monosaccharides d-Glucose and d-Fructose, to disaccharides d-Mannose, Sucrose, and Trehalose, and trisaccharides Melezitose and Raffinose. The mosquitoes were then analyzed for their lipid and glycogen contents after consuming each sugar for a set amount of time. Their 50% and 100% mortalities were recorded after imbibing each individual solution. Disease transmission is highly dependent on the life span of a mosquito. Longevity of a species is a deciding factor in its ability to transmit disease. Therefore, understanding the effects of different sugars that might be encountered by a mosquito in the field is important in understanding its ability to transmit disease.

Technical Abstract: Culex mosquitoes are important vectors of many diseases including West Nile Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Mosquitoes have been found feeding on nectar as a source of nutrition as well as an aid for long-term survival. Culex nigripalpus Theobold, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Culex salinarius Coquillet were presented with seven different 5% sugar solutions. The sugars range from monosaccharides d-Glucose and d-Fructose, to disaccharides d-Mannose, Sucrose, and Trehalose, and trisaccharides Melezitose and Raffinose. The mosquitoes were then analyzed for their lipid and glycogen contents after consuming each sugar for a set amount of time. Their 50% and 100% mortalities were recorded after imbibing each individual solution. Disease transmission is highly dependent on the life span of a mosquito. Longevity of a species is a deciding factor in its ability to transmit disease. Therefore, understanding the effects of different sugars that might be encountered by a mosquito in the field is important in understanding its ability to transmit disease.