The effects of infection with Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis on the reproductive fitness of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae

Malaria parasites are known to affect the fecundity of several species of mosquitoes but the effect of the parasite on the next generation of the vector had not been investigated. Here we report the results of a laboratory study designed to determine the effects of a rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis, on the reproductive fitness of females feeding on an infected blood meal. Female Anopheles gambiae from the same generation and of the same age and size were fed on a gametocytaemic or non-infected mouse, and the reproductive fitness of individual females monitored. Fecundity (total number of eggs produced) and fertility (number of larvae hatched) were significantly reduced by 41.2% and 61.8%, respectively. In the resulting offspring, there was no significant difference in the survivorship of the larvae. The sex ratio, wing length and symmetry, and the blood meal size of the F-1 adults were also unaffected, suggesting that parasite-induced reduction in fitness is not carried over to the succeeding generation.