Evaluation of the feeding patterns of important mosquito vector species using molecular techniques

Abstract

: This study investigated the feeding patterns of populations of Anopheles sacharovi, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Culex pipiens in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. Blood-fed females resting inside barns, houses, and chicken coops in the rural areas were collected between May 2017 and September 2019, and the genomic DNA from each female was isolated to determine the blood source after amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region. Cytb results showed that out of 445 blood-fed An. sacharovi females 2 blood-fed from dogs, 9 from birds, and 434 from cows. The results also showed that all 216 blood-fed females Cx. tritaeniorhynchus captured fed from cows, 6 out of 97 Cx. pipiens females fed from horses and 91 from birds. The feeding pattern of mosquito populations can be affected by numerous factors such as sampling method, sample size, and host abundance. Although field studies on mosquito feeding patterns do not reveal the feeding preference of such vectors, they provide vital information to understanding of vector and host interactions in the research area. Moreover, these data can give an idea of possible human contact in an environment where various hosts are readily accessible to a given vector mosquito; this is important for the prevention of various human diseases caused by vector mosquitoes.