Sugar feeding impacts reproductivesuccess and progeny development in Culicoides sonorensis biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Authors: McGregor, Bethany; Davis, Travis

Submitted to: Journal of Medical Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2025
Publication Date: 1/28/2026
Citation: Mcgregor, B.L., Davis, T.M. 2026. Sugar feeding impacts reproductivesuccess and progeny development in Culicoides sonorensis biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 63(1): tjaf188. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaf188.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaf188

Interpretive Summary: Culicoides biting midges are small flies that can spread diseases through blood feeding, but they also need to feed on sugar for energy. We currently have a poor understanding of how these two foodsources (blood and sugar) interact to affect midge reproduction and their offspring. In this study, midges were given either water or sugar before a blood meal and then either water or sugar after the bloodmeal to study these impacts. We found that several variables were affected by receiving water versus sugar, including the blood feeding rate of females, male and female survival to day three, the time it took to produce eggs, the proportion of eggs that hatched, the length of the juvenile period of theoff spring, and the size of female off spring once they reached adulthood. This information tells us that access to sugar is important for the reproduction and development of off spring in midges and is likely impacting aspects of disease spread through changes in the lifespan, population size, and blood feeding of these insects. These results further show that traps targeting sugar feeding behaviors may be effective since sugar feeding is so important for midge populations.

Technical Abstract: Culicoides Latreille biting midges are best known for their blood-feeding behaviors and pathogentransmission. However, biting midges also feed on sugar resources for energy, an area of study that hasreceived little attention. In this study, we examined the impact of supplementing blood feeding with access to either water or sugar (10% sucrose) on midge fecundity, fertility, and progeny development. Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones were provided either sucrose or water prior to a blood meal and subsequently either sucrose or water after the blood meal, resulting in 4 treatments. Individual females and F1 progeny were tracked to investigate metrics associated with reproductive and progeny success. Access to sucrose prior to a blood meal increased adult survival and resulted in a 12.9% increase in the proportion of females successfully taking a blood meal. Females provided access to sucrose after a blood meal produced eggs 2.1 d later than females provided water only after a blood meal. Significant results were found for proportion of egg hatch, juvenile period length, and F1 female wing length, but results were variable by trial. Availability of natural sugar sources in midge habitats could impact several variables used to calculate the vectorial capacity of biting midges, including survival, blood feeding rate,and vector density. This study emphasizes the need to incorporate sugar ecology into our understanding of vector-borne disease epidemiology. These results also suggest there is potential for using attractive toxic sugar baits as an effective means of control for this vector genus.