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General Abstract Submission

Disease/Vector Studies

Session: Poster Session

P 20 - Mosquito-flower interactions in the Southeast.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
12:15pm – 1:15pm  
Location: The Grand Hall
Abstract: Mosquito interactions with humans are well documented with known broader public health impacts, however the ecological consequences of their interactions with flowers are a less understood topic. In addition to female mosquitoes of certain species requiring nutrients in blood to produce their eggs, both male and female mosquitoes of all species feed on plant sugar such as nectar to fulfill their energy demands. Although it is the sugar in flower nectar that is the main resource they are after, multiple additional interactions take place, which we currently have limited knowledge of. Processes like pollination, microbial exchange, and the uptake of secondary metabolites are all things that are yet to be well characterized in the literature, and could help us better understand mosquito ecology as a whole. To begin this investigation, we first need to document what particular interactions are occurring between which mosquito and plant species. To answer this question on a local scale, we carried out field work and molecular analysis to provide evidence of mosquito-flower visitation at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. By attempting to elucidate which species are involved, we can begin to lay the groundwork for exploring interactions that we do not yet fully comprehend.