Mosquito Senescence

Wild and semi-wild Anopheles gambiae can exhibit age-dependent mortality despite high overall mortality. Laboratory evidence has challenged the assumption that mosquito mortality is age-independent. The key uncertainty is whether senescence can be detected in wild mosquitoes because most die young from extrinsic hazards. Adult mosquito mortality is commonly treated as constant with age in malaria control models. Strong age-dependent mortality is most apparent in longer-lived mosquito cohorts.