96 - Title: Pour Some Sugar On Me: Mosquito Sugar-Feeding On Endemic Plants Of Puerto Rico

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

8:50 AM - 9:00 AM PDT

Location: B116

Presenter(s)

Ella J. Branham, B.S.

University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi, United States

Co-Author(s)

MB

Mary Beard, n/a

Graduate Research Assistant
University of Georgia, Georgia, United States
MA

Mac H. Alford, Ph.D.

University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi, United States
DP

Daniel Peach, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Georgia, Georgia, United States
DS

Danica M. Shannon, n/a

Graduate Student
University of Georgia, Georgia, United States
DY

Donald J. Yee, Ph.D.

Professor
University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi, United States

Abstract: In Puerto Rico adult sugar-fed Culex antillummagnorum mosquitoes of both sexes were collected from sources and plant DNA in the mosquito’s gut was compared against plant DNA from various databases to narrow down sugar sources. Orchids and a few other plants that came up positive in the DNA tests were then used as sugar sources in survival assays with male and female Culex antillummagnorum.