The impact of mating and sugar feeding on blood-feeding physiology and behavior in the arbovirus vector mosquito Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Background Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are globally distributed vectors of viruses that impact the health of hundreds of millions of people annually. Mating and blood feeding represent fundamental aspects of mosquito life history that carry important implications for vectorial capacity and for control strategies. Females transmit pathogens to vertebrate hosts and obtain essential nutrients for eggs during blood feeding. Further, because host-seeking Ae. aegypti females mate with males swarming near hosts, biological crosstalk between these behaviors could be important. Although mating influences nutritional intake in other insects, prior studies examining mating effects on mosquito blood feeding have yielded conflicting results. Methodology/Principal findings To resolve these discrepancies, we examined blood-feeding physiology and behavior in virgin and mated females and in virgins injected with male accessory gland extracts (MAG), which induce post-mating changes in female behavior. We controlled adult nutritional status prior to blood feeding by using water- and sugar-fed controls. Our data show that neither mating nor injection with MAG affect Ae. aegypti blood intake, digestion, or feeding avidity for an initial blood meal. However, sugar feeding, a common supplement in laboratory settings but relatively rare in nature, significantly affected all aspects of feeding and may have contributed to conflicting results among previous studies. Further, mating, MAG injection, and sugar intake induced declines in subsequent feedings after an initial blood meal, correlating with egg production and laying. Taking our evaluation to the field, virgin and mated mosquitoes collected in Colombia were equally likely to contain blood at the time of collection. Conclusions/Significance Mating, MAG, and sugar feeding impact a mosquito’s estimated ability to transmit pathogens through both direct and indirect effects on multiple aspects of mosquito biology. Our results highlight the need to consider natural mosquito ecology, including diet, when assessing their physiology and behavior in the laboratory.

Rapidly evolving genes underlie Aedes aegypti mosquito reproductive resilience during drought

“…Aedes aegypti females undergo profound changes in physiology and behavior upon mating ( 29, 57–59 ). To ask if the genotype of the male with which the female had mated had an influence on these female reproductive resilience phenotypes, we mated both wild type and Δdeedum females to wild type males instead of sibling males of their respective genotypes.…”

“…Aedes aegypti females undergo profound changes in physiology and behavior upon mating (29,(57)(58)(59).…”

Octopamine and tyramine signaling inAedes aegypti:characterization, distribution and potential role in the Dengue vector development and physiology

“…A blood meal induces significant changes in the biology of the female mosquito. The blood is rich in nutrients that mosquitoes must absorb to ensure successful egg production (League et al, 2021). On the other hand, it is essential for the mosquito to quickly excrete toxic elements, such as heme groups (reactive species that can induce oxidative stress) and maintain salt and water homeostasis (Nikbakhtzadeh et al, 2016; Sajadi & Paluzzi, 2021).…”

Dehydration and infection elicit increased feeding in the western flower thrips,Frankliniella occidentalis, likely triggered by glycogen depletion

“…Thrips were considered to have fed if any blue coloration was detected after this period. Feeding avidity was defined as the proportion of individuals that fed during a given time interval (League et al 2021).…”