Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes, two major malaria vectors in
sub- Saharan Africa, exhibit selectivity among plant species as potential food sources.
However, it remains unclear if their preference aligns with optimal nutrient intake
and survival. Following an extensive screening of the effects of 31 plant species on
An. coluzzii in Burkina Faso, we selected three species for their contrasting effects
on mosquito survival, namely Ixora coccinea, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, and Combretum
indicum. We assessed the sugar content of these plants and their impact on mos
quito fructose positivity, survival, and insemination rate, using Anopheles coluzzii and
Anopheles gambiae, with glucose 5% and water as controls. Plants displayed varying
sugar content and differentially affected the survival, sugar intake, and insemination
rate of mosquitoes. All three plants were more attractive to mosquitoes than controls,
with An. gambiae being more responsive than An. coluzzii. Notably, C. indicum was the
most attractive but had the lowest sugar content and offered the lowest survival,
insemination rate, and fructose positivity. Our findings unveil a performance–prefer
ence mismatch in An. coluzzii and An. gambiae regarding plant food sources. Several
possible reasons for this negative correlation between performance and preference
are discussed

Anopheles coluzzii, Anopheles gambiae, behavioural choice, mosquito–plant interactions, nutritional ecology, survival