Bloodmeal metabarcoding reveals host feeding patterns for Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in Jutiapa, Guatemala and Texas, USA

Mosquito host contact determines arboviral transmission efficiency. Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are important vectors of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, West Nile virus, and other arboviruses, yet their feeding patterns remain poorly characterized in many tropical regions. We used bloodmeal metabarcoding to detect DNA from multiple vertebrate species within individual blood-fed mosquitoes collected from rural Guatemala and south Texas, USA. Mosquitoes were collected using aspiration in Guatemala and BG-Sentinel traps in south Texas. We calculated forage ratios (FR) to assess host utilization relative to availability. In Guatemala, Ae. aegypti exhibited strong anthropophilic behavior (human DNA: 90.2% of bloodmeals and FR = 3.62 (95% CI: 2.70–4.54), indicating significant over-utilization. In south Texas, Ae. aegypti strongly over-utilized dogs (88.2% of bloodmeals; FR = 4.65, 95% CI: 2.43–6.87) while under-utilizing humans (FR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.25–0.81). In Guatemala, Cx. quinquefasciatus displayed high anthropophilic behavior (85.3% of bloodmeals; FR = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.24–2.97). Mixed bloodmeals were common in both species at both sites (19.5–85.3%), with up to four host species detected in single mosquitoes. These results demonstrate that mosquito host selection is variable and context-dependent and underscore the need for location-specific surveillance to inform vector control strategies.