New paper out in the Journal of Medical Entomology

We are excited to share our newest work on mosquito sugar feeding now published in the Journal of Medical Entomology. This paper entitled "Effect of landscape heterogeneity on mosquito abundance and sugar feeding behavior" was led by MS student Morgen VanderGiessen, MS then PhD student Forde Upshur, MS student Mariana Castadena-Guzman, collaborators Luis Escobar and Clément Vinauger.

Abstract: Mosquito-borne diseases pose a dire threat to humanity, claiming over 700,000 lives annually. At the local scale, the interplay between several environmental factors influences mosquito biology: temperature, precipitation, and temporal variations profoundly shape mosquito populations, impacting disease transmission dynamics. However, how environmental conditions modulate sugar feeding has been critically understudied. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted field captures across distinct ecological settings: urban and forested areas at high and low elevations. We used established mosquito trapping techniques and satellite-derived data to examine environmental parameters and mosquito abundance dynamics. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between mosquito size, sugar consumption, and environmental variables by analyzing wing length, nectar presence, and carbohydrate concentrations. Results showed a higher proportion of sugar-fed mosquitoes in urban habitats, correlated to the presence of ornamental plants on which mosquitoes can feed and associated with Aedes albopictus dominating the mosquito population (81.3% of trapped individuals). In contrast, Culex mosquitoes accounted for 87.2% of the mosquito populations at both high- and low-elevation forested sites. Altogether, our results identify an interplay between environmental and physiological factors with implications for population prediction and, by extension, mosquito control strategies.

This work was supported in part by the Global Change Center (GCC), the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE), The Eppley Foundation for Research, The Fralin Life Sciences Institute, The NIH, The NSF and The USDA NIFA.