The effects of adult body size and nutritional regimen on the mean lethal time (LT) to death for the 50th (LT₅₀) and 90th centiles (LT₉₀) of large and small male and female Aedes albopictus (Skuse) were determined in the laboratory. The estimated LT₅₀ and the LT₉₀ for large/small females were significantly shorter for test populations receiving water (5.1/3.8 d) or water blood (6.7/5.0 d) than for those receiving sucrose (44.4/31.7 d) or sucrose blood (41.4/29.2 d). The estimated LT₅₀ and LT₉₀ for large/small males receiving water (respectively: 3.2/2.5 d and 4.8/3.8 d) were significantly shorter than for those receiving sucrose (respectively: 18.8/15.9 d and 34.9/32.6 d). The availability of sucrose to adult mosquitoes extended the maximum life span of large and small male and female Ae. albopictus by 6–8× when compared with the availability of water or water blood. Results indicate that sugar availability is more important than blood as a nutritional parameter for survival and longevity of Ae. albopictus in the laboratory.