Open AccessEffects of blood meal source on the reproduction of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Author(s) -
Richards Stephanie L.,
Anderson Sheri L.,
Yost Samantha A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of vector ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1948-7134
pISSN - 1081-1710
DOI - 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2012.00194.x
Subject(s) - blood meal , culex quinquefasciatus , fecundity , biology , meal , reproduction , zoology , larva , food science , population , ecology , medicine , aedes aegypti , environmental health
Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were fed blood meals from a live chicken (LC), chicken blood in Alsever's (AC) solution, defibrinated bovine blood (DB), or bovine blood in citrate (CB) and incubated at 28° C. The effects of different blood meal sources were evaluated with respect to rates of blood feeding and reproduction (i.e., fecundity and fertility) over two gonotrophic cycles. Mosquitoes that fed on the first blood meal were subjected to a second blood meal as follows (first blood meal / second blood meal): LC/LC, LC/DB, DB/DB, CB/CB, AC/AC. Fecundity and fertility of Cx. p. quinquefasciatus were significantly ( P < 0.05) greater in mosquitoes fed LC blood; however, fecundity and fertility in different treatment groups varied by gonotrophic cycle. These results contribute to our understanding of the impact of blood meal source on feeding and reproduction in Cx. p. quinquefasciatus . The potential impacts of blood meal source on virus transmission experiments are discussed.