Pre-mating Blood Feeding by Anopheles pharoensis (Diptera: Culicidae) and Its Effects on Mating, Longevity and Egg Production

Abstract

Field observations and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of a pre-mating blood meal on mating, ovarian development and oviposition in Anopheles pharoensis (Theobald). Approximately 24% of the females blood feed before mating; however, swollen abdomens of blood-fed females interfere with the mating process. In females which mated prior to first blood meal, first oviposition occurred at 6.6 days and required only a single blood meal. A second blood meal takes them to the second oviposition in an additional 2.5 days; the third oviposition required 1.4 blood meals and occurred 3 days after the second oviposition. Blood-fed unmated females reach first oviposition at 13.4 days and require an average of 4 blood meals prior to the first oviposition. At this age, the female is chronologically old and even if mating now occurs, egg production is greatly reduced and continues to decrease through subsequent ovipositions until death. The taking of a blood meal prior to mating greatly decreases the reproductive potential of this species.