Yes, female mosquitoes can survive without blood, but only for a limited time.
Understanding Mosquito Blood Feeding
Female mosquitoes need blood to reproduce, not to survive. They require a blood meal to obtain the necessary proteins for egg development. Without blood, they can still live, but they won't be able to lay eggs. This is crucial to understanding their survival. The provided reference explicitly states that blood is "only needed in order for them to lay eggs". [Source: 27-Apr-2022 reference]
Life Cycle and Blood's Role
A female mosquito's life cycle involves several stages. After mating, blood is essential for egg maturation. Once the eggs are laid, the female can continue to live, although her lifespan will be impacted by various environmental factors.
- Blood Meal: Critical for egg production.
- Egg Laying: Occurs after a successful blood meal.
- Lifespan: Blood meals extend reproductive capability but aren't directly linked to the basic survival of the mosquito.
Survival Without Blood
While blood is necessary for reproduction, it's not essential for a female mosquito's short-term survival. She can live for a period of time without feeding on blood, but her reproductive capabilities will be severely limited. Her lifespan without a blood meal will depend on the availability of other nutrients and environmental conditions.
Therefore, the statement that they "don't do so in order to survive" from the reference needs to be contextualised. They can survive without it, just not reproduce.
