The nutritional physiology of mosquito larvae
has been fairly well investigated. Using Aedes
aegypti, Trager (1953) and his co-workers since 1936,
and subsequent investigators, including Singh &
Brown (1957) and most recently Akov (1962),
showed that various nutritive substances were
indispensable for larval growth, pupation and adult
emergence under aseptic conditions.
Such indispensable substances include carbohydrates,
fats, minerals (especially calcium), protein
(at least nine amino-acids are needed), and, as
growth promoters, lipid (cholesterol), vitamin
B-complex (especially biotin and others) and yeast
nucleic acid: the promoters may be contained in
yeast, liver extract, and micro-organisms developing
on these substances.