Three-gene PCR and high-resolution melting analysis for differentiating vertebrate species mitochondrial DNA for biodiversity research and complementing forensic surveillance
Publication Type
Journal Article
Journal Name
Medical and Veterinary Entomology
Publication Date
6-1-2004
Abstract
The propensity of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) to ingest sugars from various plants, and subsequent survival rates, were assessed with laboratory-reared males and females offered eight species of plants commonly cultivated and/or growing wild in western Kenya. In cages (no-choice bioassay), mosquitoes given the opportunity to feed on castorbean (Ricinus communis L.) had the longest survival times (mean and median survival time of 6.99 ± 0.23 and 5.67 ± 0.17 days, respectively), comparable to mosquitoes given 6% glucose (mean and median survival time of 8.70 ± 0.23 and 6.67 ± 0.33 days, respectively). Survival rates of An. gambiae were low on the other plants, comparable to mosquitoes given only water. Three plants: sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), wild sage (Lantana camara L.) and castorbean provided levels of sugar ingestion by both sexes of An. gambiae detectable using the cold anthrone method, showing a positive correlation between median survival and sugar consumption (Spearman rank correlation coefficient = 0.905, P < 0.0001). Equal numbers of males and females were released in an enclosed semi-field screenhouse system containing a range of local plants, but no host for blood, and allowed to feed ad libitum: 6.7 ± 0.5% (11/64) of those recaptured were found to contain detectable fructose (all females). Common plants are clearly a viable source of nutrition for adult female An. gambiae, as well as males, and may constitute and important resource for this important malaria vector.
Keywords
Adult mosquito diet, Africa, Anopheles gambiae, Ipomoea batatas, Kenya, Lantana camara, Malaria vector, Mosquito survivorship, Ricinus communis, Sugar-feeding
PubMed ID
15189235
Recommended Citation
Impoinvil, D., Kongere, J., Foster, W., Njiru, B., Killeen, G., Githure, J., Beier, J., Hassanali, A., & Knols, B. (2004). Three-gene PCR and high-resolution melting analysis for differentiating vertebrate species mitochondrial DNA for biodiversity research and complementing forensic surveillance. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 18 (2), 108-115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0269-283X.2004.00484.x