INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE BLOOD MEALS ON GONOTROPHIC DISSOCIATION AND FECUNDITY IN AEDES ALBOPICTUS

Gonotrophic dissociation and fecundity in adult female Aedes albopictus affect the transmission of arbovirus and mosquito population dynamics. Female Ae. albopictus bloodfed on guinea pig and human hosts produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher number of eggs (80 and 82/female, respectively) than females fed on chicken (67 eggs/female). Fecundity in mosquitoes that took a double blood meal (chicken and guinea pig), a triple blood meal (3 separate guinea pigs), or mixed blood meals (chicken, guinea pig, and human) was significantly (P < 0.001) higher than in females fed on a single chicken or on 2 separate chickens (refeeding). Gonotrophic dissociation in laboratory colony of Ae. albopictus was first observed and its frequency decreased with multiple blood meals with triple feeding or mixed feeding (3 meals on 3 host types). Blood meal source did not significantly influence gonotrophic dissociation in Ae. albopictus.