Use of a cost-effective artificial feeding system to evaluate the effect of blood meal source and its role in feeding success, reproductive parameters and larval growth of laboratory-reared Aedes Aegypti (L.)

Abstract

Five different blood sources, human, cattle, rabbit, sheep and dog were delivered to laboratory-reared Aedes Aegypti to determine the effect of blood meal source on reproductive performance and larval growth characteristics of the mosquitoes. The blood meal was delivered with the use of a cost-effective artificial membrane feeding system. The mosquitoes displayed a significant feeding success for human blood over the other given blood meal sources. Thus, significantly a higher fecundity for human blood followed by cattle blood over other given blood meal sources was observed. The mean percentage of egg hatching for human blood and cattle blood was more or less the same, while the values were significantly different from that of other given blood meal sources rabbit, sheep and dog. Furthermore, larval growth parameters did not show any significant relationship with the blood meal source. These findings agree with established literature and facilitate the rearing and maintaining of Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes in a cost-effective manner. Hence the findings of the study aid in empowering laboratory research on Ae. Aegypti cost-effectively while enabling studies on its biology in in vitro conditions which are crucial in implementing disease control strategies.