Behavioral heterogeneity in host-seeking and post-feedingsuppression among disease vector mosquitoes

Abstract

Female mosquitoes seek out vertebrate hosts and consume their blood to obtain nutrients necessary for egg production, but host preference and host-seeking strategies differ markedly across species. These behaviors are also modulated by internal physiological states, such as the suppression of host-seeking after a full blood meal, a phenomenon that varies in timing and duration across mosquito species. We established a behavior monitoring and classification pipeline to systematically compare baseline host-seeking behavior and post-blood meal suppression in Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes. We found distinct behavioral signatures and notable interspecific differences in the onset and duration of host-seeking suppression. While Aedes and Anopheles host-seeking behaviors have been extensively studied in laboratory settings, comparable behavioral data for Culex have been limited, making direct comparisons across all three genera difficult. Our findings establish a unified behavioral framework for mosquito host-seeking across key vector species, providing insight into the ecological and physiological factors that shape host interaction and offering a foundation for improved modeling of disease transmission and vector control.