Effect of defensive host behavior on the blood meal size and feeding success of natural populations of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Abstract

The blood meal sizes of field and laboratory mosquito populations attracted to stable traps baited with restrained or unrestrained rabbits were measured. Mosquitoes feeding on the unrestrained host were influenced by its defensive behavior; feeding success was significantly reduced compared to that of females feeding on a restrained host. The amount of blood ingested from the defensive hosts was also significantly reduced, except for Aedes sollicitans which fed fully even when the host was active. The implications of the data for multiple feeding behavior are discussed.