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Energy budget of swarming male mosquitoes
Author(s) -
YUVAL BOAZ,
HOLLIDAYHANSON MERRY L.,
WASHING ROBERT K.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1994.tb00392.x
Subject(s) - swarming (honey bee) , biology , nectar , energy budget , trehalose , energy metabolism , ecology , glycogen , zoology , biochemistry , pollen , endocrinology
.1 The objective of this study was to determine, in the field, the energetic costs of swarming for male Anopheles freeborni (Diptera: Culicidae). By comparing the caloric contents of resting males to marked males captured after swarming, we established when sugar feeding takes place, what energy source is used to fuel swarming flight, and how much energy is invested in this activity. 2 Sugar‐feeding takes place sometime during the night after swarming is concluded. Nectar sugars are therefore not immediately available to fuel flight. Stored sugars (trehalose and glucose) and glycogen are the primary sources of energy for flight. Lipids are not used to fuel flight but may be used in resting metabolism. 3 Male size is not related to feeding success. For males of all sizes, swarming consumes more than 50% of available calories. Accordingly, the ability of an individual to find and exploit nectar sources will greatly affect reproductive success.