Identification of blood meals in field collected Culex pipiens, Anopheles sacharovi and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) using the ELISA method
Fatma Bursalı, GİZEM ANTİKA, Sare İlknur Yavaşoğlu, Fatih Mehmet Şimşek · TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY · 2024
Information obtained about the blood feeding behavior of mosquito populations in nature is important for understanding their vectorial capacity and evaluating their potential role in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. This study investigated the feeding patterns of Culex pipiens, Anopheles sacharovi and Culex tritaeniorhynchus by using ELISA method. A total of 435 blood-fed females were collected from the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of Türkiye between May 2021-September 2023. The types and numbers of potential domestic animal hosts were recorded in each village. Of the 372 blood meals tested, 348 gave a single host positive result mainly on bovine and human, chicken, respectively, in both villages. On the other hand, host tendency for chicken was found in a very low degree in both villages. The human and other hosts were under-selected, highlighting a marked zoophily for the vectors. Overall, these hosts were mainly selected in proportion to their abundance. These results highlight the zoophilic and exophagic behavior of this vectors. In conclusion, understanding the blood feeding behavior of mosquito populations is important for vector biology of these vectors. More research is needed to study the feeding behavior of outdoor mosquito populations and the influence of domestic animals on disease epidemiology.