Nectar Feeding by Aedes sollicitans and Its Relation to Gonotrophic Activity

Abstract

A 50m ² salt marsh study plot was used to determine relative densities of flowering plants and to directly observe Aedes sollicitans nectar feeding. In addition to 190 flower-visiting mosquitoes (103 ♀, 87 ♂), 260 resting and 280 blood-seeking females were collected from the marsh and an inland woodland habitat; specimens were agegraded by the Polovodova method and analyzed for fructose by an anthrone test. There were no significant differences in nectar feeding rates between sexes. Newly-emerged and recently-oviposited mosquitoes nectar-fed from Solidago sempervirens (seaside goldenrod), Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Hieracium pratense (king-devil hawkweed), and Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy) both at times when these plant hosts were at high and very low relative densities. Mosquito avoidance of other dominant blooming plant species and their selection of plants having lighter-colored flowers suggests that there may be preferences for certain plant hosts. Females nectar fed in all phases of the gonotrophic cycle, but there was a significantly higher rate of recent nectar feeding among females in the salt marsh (avg. 60% positive) than in woodlands (avg. 11%). Greater nectar-feeding activity in salt marshes is probably indicative of the female's need for simple sugars before dispersing inland and/or that nectar sources were more plentiful.