The frequency of host biting and its effect on oviposition and survival in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

The effect of host availability at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h intervals on temporal variation in median host-biting frequency, oviposition and survival of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), was investigated under laboratory conditions. In each feeding interval, ten replicates containing five mosquitoes were assessed over 12 days. Median host-biting frequencies were 0.7 bites per female mosquito in the 24 h feeding interval, 0.54 bites per female in the 12 h feeding interval, and 0.47 bites per female in the 6 h feeding interval. Although the 24 h figure was comparable to previously documented levels, feeding increased by 1.5 and 2.7 fold in the 12 and 6 h feeding intervals over a 24 h period. Host biting and oviposition were observed to peak at dusk in the 6, 12 and 24 h feeding intervals, but substantial activity was also observed at dawn, noon and midnight. Daily feeding analysis showed that host biting decreased by approximately 50% in all feeding interval trials over the 12 day test period. Oviposition peaks coincided with biting decline, suggesting a three day gonotrophic cycle. Survival did not differ significantly between feeding intervals. The reported rate of 0.47 host bites per female mosquito per 6 h (congruent to 1.9 per 24 h) is thus far the highest recorded for A. aegypti. The suggestion that A. aegypti probably feeds more regularly than once in a 24 h period in nature is consistent with the biting and oviposition results.