Host-Feeding Patterns of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) at a Temperate North American Site

Abstract

Precipitin tests and ELISA were used to investigate host-feeding patterns of 172 blood-fed Aedes albopictus (Skuse) collected at Potosi, MO, during the summers of 1989 and 1990. One hundred ten (64.0%) mosquitoes had fed on mammals, 29 (16.9%) on birds, and none on turtles or snakes. Thirty-three (19.2%) mosquitoes failed to react in all tests. Eighty-six (78.2%) of the 110 mammalian feeds were positive for lower taxa as follows: rabbit, 24.5%; deer, 14.5%; dog, 13.6%; human, 8.2%; squirrel, 7.3%; opossum, 4.5%; myomorph rodents other than Rattus, 3.6%; raccoon, 0.9%; and bovine, 0.9%. Positive feeds were not detected for the following mammals: cat (n = 99); horse (n = 95); Rattus (n = 84); and swine (n = 84). Fourteen (48.3%) of the 29 avian feeds were positive for lower taxa as follows: Passeriformes, 24.1%; Columbiformes, 17.2%; Ciconiiformes, 3.4%; and quail, 3.4%. These data, the first on host-feeding patterns for Ae. albopictus populations in the New World, indicate that Ae. albopictus is an opportunistic feeder that utilizes a wide variety of hosts and, therefore, has the potential to become involved in the transmission cycles of indigenous arboviruses.

Interaction ofWolbachiaand Bloodmeal Type in Artificially InfectedAedes albopictus(Diptera: Culicidae)

“…Specifically, wMelPop-infected females that feed on nonhuman bloodmeals can be less successful, and Ae. albopictus females tend to be relatively opportunistic blood feeders (Savage et al 1993, Niebylski et al 1994, Delatte et al 2010.…”

Atividade antropofílica de Aedes aegypti e Aedes albopictus em área sob controle e vigilância

“…However, studies for identifying what its main food source is stumble against the variability of possible situations that, together with its eclectic feeding habits, characterize it as an opportunistic species. 9,13,14 In addition to the natural factors, there are aspects related to chemical, environmental and educational interventions, which are important in altering behavior, as already described for Anopheles darlingi when subjected to control by organochlorine insecticides. 6 The observation of the blood feeding process was done once a week, with the collection of females by using two people as human bait, during the morning, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and in the late afternoon, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.…”

Comparison between precipitin and ELISA tests in the bloodmeal detection of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes fluviatilis (Lutz) mosquitoes experimentally fed on feline, canine and human hosts

“…Perhaps in situations where sensitivity is to be highlighted, ELISA may be the choice. One must keep in mind that specificity and sensitivity were better when samples came from mosquitoes fed less than 48 h before digestion process was stoped by freezing, as stated (Bukort et al 1981, Ngumbi et al 1992, Savage et al 1993. The system to detect canine blood in mosquitoes' gut was less sensitive than the system to detect feline blood, which can be explained by the difference in the antiserum titers.…”