Effects of body size and nutritional regimen on survival in adult Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).

ABSTRACT

The effects of adult body size and nutritional regimen on the mean lethal time (LT) to death for the 50th (LT50) and 90th centiles (LT90) of large and small male and female Aedes albopictus (Skuse) were determined in the laboratory. The estimated LT50 and the LT90 for large/small females were significantly shorter for test populations receiving water (5.1/3.8 d) or water + blood (6.7/5.0 d) than for those receiving sucrose (44.4/31.7 d) or sucrose + blood (41.4/29.2 d). The estimated LT50 and LT90 for large/small males receiving water (respectively 3.2/2.5 d and 4.8/3.8 d) were significantly shorter than for those receiving sucrose (respectively 18.8/15.9 d and 34.9/32.6 d). The availability of sucrose to adult mosquitoes extended the maximum life span of large and small male and female Ae. albopictus by 6-8x when compared with the availability of water or water + blood. Results indicate that sugar availability is more important than blood as a nutritional parameter for survival and longevity of Ae. albopictus in the laboratory.