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Feeding and survival of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae on plants growing in Kenya
Author(s) -
Impoinvil D. E.,
Kongere J. O.,
Foster W. A.,
Njiru B. N.,
Killeen G. F.,
Githure J. I.,
Beier J. C.,
Hassanali A.,
Knols B. G. J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0269-283x.2004.00484.x
Subject(s) - biology , anopheles gambiae , sugar , ipomoea , vector (molecular biology) , botany , bioassay , ingestion , malaria , zoology , toxicology , ecology , food science , immunology , biochemistry , gene , recombinant dna
. The propensity of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) to ingest sugars from various plants, and subsequent survival rates, were assessed with laboratory‐reared males and females offered eight species of plants commonly cultivated and/or growing wild in western Kenya. In cages (no‐choice bioassay), mosquitoes given the opportunity to feed on castorbean ( Ricinus communis L.) had the longest survival times (mean and median survival time of 6.99 ± 0.23 and 5.67 ± 0.17 days, respectively), comparable to mosquitoes given 6% glucose (mean and median survival time of 8.70 ± 0.23 and 6.67 ± 0.33 days, respectively). Survival rates of An. gambiae were low on the other plants, comparable to mosquitoes given only water. Three plants: sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas L.), wild sage ( Lantana camara L.) and castorbean provided levels of sugar ingestion by both sexes of An. gambiae detectable using the cold anthrone method, showing a positive correlation between median survival and sugar consumption (Spearman rank correlation coefficient = 0.905, P < 0.0001). Equal numbers of males and females were released in an enclosed semi‐field screenhouse system containing a range of local plants, but no host for blood, and allowed to feed ad libitum : 6.7 ± 0.5% (11/64) of those recaptured were found to contain detectable fructose (all females). Common plants are clearly a viable source of nutrition for adult female An. gambiae , as well as males, and may constitute and important resource for this important malaria vector.