What Do Male Mosquitoes Eat?

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Once people understand that it is only female mosquitoes that feed on human blood, they wonder what male mosquitoes eat. Female and male mosquitoes have largely the same diet. This includes nectar, the sap of plants, and honeydew, which is a sweet and sticky substance produced by aphids. They use this food for energy, just as humans do.

However, female mosquitoes also feed on animal blood. This contains lipids and fatty acids that help the mosquito produce eggs. While this is true for most species of mosquitoes, there are some that don’t require blood at all. In fact, approximately 75 species of mosquitoes don’t include animal blood in their diet. The females in these species only require carbohydrates for egg production. Sometimes, these species are used to control other species of mosquitoes due to the fact that their larvae eat the larvae of other mosquito species.

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