Date:
Location:
Lawence Reeves
Assistant Professor
Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences
University of Florida
The natural history of mosquitoes
Abstract: Few insects are more immediately recognized than the mosquitoes, yet their natural history and the depths of their interactions with other organisms remain largely unknown beyond those who study them or work to control their impacts. Globally, more than 3,700 mosquito species have been described. There is tremendous variation among these species, and each is distinct. They vary in their morphology, their larval microhabitats, their life histories and strategies, the pathogens, if any, that they vector, and they vary in their host associations. Mosquitoes are so well known to humans, and so impactful, because the females of most species must take a blood meal from another animal to complete the development of their eggs. Because of this, and because a female mosquito may feed from multiple hosts over the course of its life, mosquitoes can be effective vectors for disease causing pathogens. While blood serves a primarily reproductive function, plant-derived sugar is the food that fuels the daily life of a mosquito. All mosquitoes, regardless of sex, depend on plant-derived sugars, facilitating interactions between mosquitoes and plants and other sugar-feeding insects. It is challenging to observe mosquitoes in nature, going about their lives, interacting with other organisms, outside of the moments when a female mosquito is attempting to feed from a human host. Even then, it remains a challenge to clearly see a mosquito and visualize its morphology. This seminar will re-introduce the mosquitoes, summarizing their fascinating natural history, their profound interactions with other organisms, and new insights on mosquito ecology.
Host: OEB Graduate Students