Effects of preblood-meal sugar on sugar seeking and upwind flight by gravid and parous Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Sugar seeking and upwind flight of gravid and parous female Aedes aegypti (L.) was measured by their attraction to honey in a dual-port airflow olfactometer at selected time intervals after a blood meal. Comparisons were made between pre-blood-meal sugar-fed and unfed females. Sugar-fed females had greater total energy reserves, mostly because of elevated lipid levels. Gravid mosquitoes in both groups showed a strong tendency to fly upwind. This appears to be a pre-ovipositional response. Gravid female orientation to honey was greater in unfed females than in sugar-fed females. After oviposition, parous females became more strongly attracted to honey, if their honey response was not already high.