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The transmission of  Plasmodium  within a vertebrate host population is strongly associated with the life history traits of its vector. Therefore the effect of malaria infection on mosquito fecundity and longevity has traditionally received a lot of attention. Several species of malaria parasites reduce mosquito fecundity, nevertheless almost all of the studies have focused only on the first gonotrophic cycle. Yet, during their lifetime, female mosquitoes go through several gonotrophic cycles, which raises the question of whether they are able to compensate the fecundity costs induced by the parasite. The impact of  Plasmodium  infection on female longevity is not so clear and has produced conflicting results. Here we measured the impact of  Plasmodium relictum  on its vector’s longevity and fecundity during three consecutive gonotrophic cycles. In accordance with previous studies, we observed a negative impact of  Plasmodium  infection on mosquito ( Culex pipiens ) fecundity in the first gonotrophic cycle. Interestingly, despite having taken two subsequent uninfected blood meals, the negative impact of malaria parasite persisted. Nevertheless no impact of infection on mosquito longevity was observed. Our results are not in line with the hypothesis that the reduction of fecundity observed in infected mosquitoes is an adaptive strategy of  Plasmodium  to increase the longevity of its vector. We discuss the different underlying mechanisms that may explain our results.

Long-term pathogenic response to Plasmodium relictum infection in Culex pipiens mosquito