OWN When they are born, all mosquitoes lead an aquatic life and feed on organic matter and small organisms. This period lasts between one and two weeks, depending on the species, temperature and food availability. They go through four larval stages dedicated to feeding and growth, then the mobile nymph stage where a deep body transformation occurs into an adult mosquito, during which time they do not eat.
During their life, mosquitoes occupy two very different habitats: water and air environments, and use different resources. Unlike other biting insects, such as bed bugs or bed bugs, which feed on blood throughout their lives, mosquitoes only do so as adults.
Only female mosquitoes bite
There are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes, only a small number of which bite humans, namely around 200 species, 65 of which are found on mainland France. Males never bite. They feed only on flower nectar and plant juice, rich in sugar, which provides them with all the energy necessary for their survival. Their life expectancy is generally short, from a few days to a few weeks under ideal conditions.
READ ALSO Anna-Bella Failloux, mosquito guardOn the other hand, women have a dual eating pattern. They also eat nectar to survive every day. However, when they have to produce eggs, they need a protein supply that only blood can provide. They can bite humans, but also other animals, depending on their preferences. Some species are quite eclectic when it comes to their hosts, biting anything that gets in their way, while others are particularly fond of human blood.
Most mosquitoes feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, such as birds and mammals, including humans, but some species can also bite cold-blooded animals, such as frogs or butterfly caterpillars.
Needs blood to lay eggs
A female mosquito can survive for several days, even weeks, without biting, as long as she has access to a source of sugar, such as nectar. Therefore, its reproductive needs, and not survival, drive it to sting. Without a blood meal, she will not be able to lay eggs, but she will not die so quickly.
Tigress mosquito Aedes albopictusDengue virus vectors, Zika or chikungunya, for example, can live about a month as adults under optimal conditions. During this period, it can survive without stinging, provided it finds another energetic food source. The same applies to Culex pipiensthe most common mosquito in mainland France, which is also capable of transmitting certain viruses that cause diseases, such as West Nile fever or Japanese encephalitis.
Temperature, humidity, and food availability greatly influence their longevity. A warm, moist environment, with standing water, hosts, and nectar nearby, encourages rapid reproduction and frequent feeding. On the other hand, relatively low temperatures slow down the metabolism of insects and allow them to reduce their feeding time.
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It should also be noted that some mosquitoes enter diapause, a type of hibernation, during the winter and can survive for several months without actively foraging. Depending on the species, eggs, larvae, nymphs, or adults may undergo this form of “physiological alert” during the winter. If we do not see them, it is not because they are gone, but because they are hidden and fast asleep.
* Claudio Lazzari, university professor, Department of Animal Biology and Genetics, University of Tours
