What do female mosquitoes need blood for?

Female mosquitoes require blood primarily as a source of proteins and nutrients necessary for the development of their eggs. When a female mosquito takes a blood meal, it ingests not just blood but also crucial enzymes and other components that promote the maturation of her eggs. The proteins from the blood meal are essential for the synthesis of yolk material, which provides nourishment for the developing embryos. This is a critical biological function, as the ability to successfully produce and lay eggs is essential for the continuation of their species.

While energy for flight, vision, and hydration are important aspects of a mosquito's biology, they do not rely on blood meals to fulfill these needs. Female mosquitoes primarily obtain energy from nectar and other sugar sources; their vision and hydration are managed through other means in their environment. Thus, the unique metabolic requirement for blood is specifically linked to reproductive success.