News Animals

Mosquitoes prefer dozing over dining when they are sleep-deprived

Sleepy skeeters lagged behind well-rested ones when offered a researcher’s leg to feed on

Dozens of mosquitoes in a pooter, a clear tube-shaped device

Mosquitoes in the lab (shown here in a device called a pooter to transfer them between enclosures) were first observed while napping, then forced to stay awake past their bedtime. The lack of sleep interfered with their normal interest in blood, researchers found.

Andrew Higley/UC

By Anna Gibbs

Turns out there is rest for the wicked: Sleepy mosquitoes are more likely to catch up on missed z’s than drink blood, a new study finds.