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Weiss L, McBride CS. Mosquitoes as a model for understanding the neural basis of natural behaviors. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 87:102897. [PMID: 39002351 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Mosquito behaviors have been the subject of extensive research for over a century due to their role in the spread of human disease. However, these behaviors are also beginning to be appreciated as excellent models for neurobiological research in their own right. Many of the same behaviors and sensory abilities that help mosquitoes survive and reproduce alongside humans represent striking examples of generalizable phenomena of longstanding neurobiological interest. In this review, we highlight four prominent examples that promise new insight into (1) precise circadian tuning of sensory systems, (2) processing of complex natural odors, (3) multisensory integration, and (4) modulation of behavior by internal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Weiss
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Carolyn S McBride
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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2
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Lapshin DN, Vorontsov DD. Mapping the Auditory Space of Culex pipiens Female Mosquitoes in 3D. INSECTS 2023; 14:743. [PMID: 37754711 PMCID: PMC10532353 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The task of directional hearing faces most animals that possess ears. They approach this task in different ways, but a common trait is the use of binaural cues to find the direction to the source of sound. In insects, the task is further complicated by their small size and, hence, minute temporal and level differences between two ears. A single symmetric flagellar particle velocity receiver, such as the antenna of a mosquito, should not be able to discriminate between the two opposite directions along the vector of the sound wave. Paired antennae of mosquitoes presume the usage of binaural hearing, but its mechanisms are expected to be significantly different from the ones typical for the pressure receivers. However, the directionality of flagellar auditory organs has received little attention. Here, we measured the in-flight orientation of antennae in female Culex pipiens pipiens mosquitoes and obtained a detailed physiological mapping of the Johnston's organ directionality at the level of individual sensory units. By combining these data, we created a three-dimensional model of the mosquito's auditory space. The orientation of the antennae was found to be coordinated with the neuronal asymmetry of the Johnston's organs to maintain a uniformly shaped auditory space, symmetric relative to a flying mosquito. The overlap of the directional characteristics of the left and right sensory units was found to be optimal for binaural hearing focused primarily in front of, above and below a flying mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry N. Lapshin
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, 127994 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Dmitry D. Vorontsov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 26, 119334 Moscow, Russia
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3
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Pantoja-Sánchez H, League GP, Harrington LC, Alfonso-Parra C. Recording and Analysis of Mosquito Acoustic-Related Mating Behavior. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2022; 2022:Pdb.prot107989. [PMID: 35960617 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot107989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In mosquitoes, courtship and mating sounds are produced by the movement of the wings during flight. These sounds, usually referred to as flight tones, have been studied using tethered and free-flying individuals. Here, we describe a general approach for recording and analyzing mosquito acoustic-related mating behaviors that can be broadly adapted to a variety of experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoover Pantoja-Sánchez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, SISTEMIC
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, PECET, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, 050010
| | - Garrett P League
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Laura C Harrington
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Catalina Alfonso-Parra
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia, 055413
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, 050010
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Somers J, Georgiades M, Su MP, Bagi J, Andrés M, Alampounti A, Mills G, Ntabaliba W, Moore SJ, Spaccapelo R, Albert JT. Hitting the right note at the right time: Circadian control of audibility in Anopheles mosquito mating swarms is mediated by flight tones. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl4844. [PMID: 35020428 PMCID: PMC8754303 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl4844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Mating swarms of malaria mosquitoes form every day at sunset throughout the tropical world. They typically last less than 30 minutes. Activity must thus be highly synchronized between the sexes. Moreover, males must identify the few sporadically entering females by detecting the females’ faint flight tones. We show that the Anopheles circadian clock not only ensures a tight synchrony of male and female activity but also helps sharpen the males’ acoustic detection system: By raising their flight tones to 1.5 times the female flight tone, males enhance the audibility of females, specifically at swarm time. Previously reported “harmonic convergence” events are only a random by-product of the mosquitoes’ flight tone variance and not a signature of acoustic interaction between males and females. The flight tones of individual mosquitoes occupy narrow, partly non-overlapping frequency ranges, suggesting that the audibility of individual females varies across males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Somers
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marcos Georgiades
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Matthew P. Su
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Judit Bagi
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marta Andrés
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Alexandros Alampounti
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Gordon Mills
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
| | - Watson Ntabaliba
- Vector Control Product Testing Unit, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Sarah J. Moore
- Vector Control Product Testing Unit, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
- Epidemiology and Public Health Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland
| | - Roberta Spaccapelo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Centro Universitario di Ricerca sulla Genomica Funzionale (C.U.R.Ge.F), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Biotecnologie (CIB) Trieste, Italy
| | - Joerg T. Albert
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Corresponding author.
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5
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Harmonic convergence coordinates swarm mating by enhancing mate detection in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24102. [PMID: 34916521 PMCID: PMC8677761 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03236-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Anopheles gambiae is a major African malaria vector, transmitting parasites responsible for significant mortality and disease burden. Although flight acoustics are essential to mosquito mating and present promising alternatives to insecticide-based vector control strategies, there is limited data on mosquito flight tones during swarming. Here, for the first time, we present detailed analyses of free-flying male and female An. gambiae flight tones and their harmonization (harmonic convergence) over a complete swarm sequence. Audio analysis of single-sex swarms showed synchronized elevation of male and female flight tones during swarming. Analysis of mixed-sex swarms revealed additional 50 Hz increases in male and female flight tones due to mating activity. Furthermore, harmonic differences between male and female swarm tones in mixed-sex swarms and in single-sex male swarms with artificial female swarm audio playback indicate that frequency differences of approximately 50 Hz or less at the male second and female third harmonics (M2:F3) are maintained both before and during mating interactions. This harmonization likely coordinates male scramble competition by maintaining ideal acoustic recognition within mating pairs while acoustically masking phonotactic responses of nearby swarming males to mating females. These findings advance our knowledge of mosquito swarm acoustics and provide vital information for reproductive control strategies.
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Lapshin DN, Vorontsov DD. Frequency tuning of swarming male mosquitoes (Aedes communis, Culicidae) and its neural mechanisms. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 132:104233. [PMID: 33831433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The primary function of hearing in mosquitoes is believed to be intraspecific communication. This view dictated the principle of many behavioral studies, namely, the attraction of male mosquitoes to the sounds that mimicked a female tone. However, after the avoidance response to certain frequencies of sound was demonstrated, it became clear that attraction tests cannot fully account for all the capabilities of the mosquito auditory system. In addition, the tuning curves obtained by electrophysiological measurements differ from the behavioral ones. We designed a simple but robust field test based on responses of swarming mosquitoes to sound stimulation, but not limited to the attraction response. Here we report the auditory thresholds over a wide range of sound frequencies measured in the field from swarms of Aedes communis mosquitoes. In parallel, the auditory sensitivity of male mosquitoes taken from the same swarms was measured electrophysiologically. Surprisingly, we found high acoustic sensitivity; 26 dBSPL on average, in the frequency range 180-220 Hz (ambient temperature 12 °C). In addition, responses were found in the high-frequency range, 500-700 Hz (the so-called 'mirror channel'). Two types of auditory units were recorded: more sensitive broadband neurons and less sensitive units with distinct narrow (quality factor Q6 = 7.4) frequency tunings in the range 180-350 Hz. We propose that the former provides the detection of signal while the latter are used for frequency identification in order to make a behavioral choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry N Lapshin
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kharkevich Institute), Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow 127994, Russia.
| | - Dmitry D Vorontsov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 26, Moscow 119334, Russia.
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Feugère L, Gibson G, Manoukis NC, Roux O. Mosquito sound communication: are male swarms loud enough to attract females? J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210121. [PMID: 33849333 PMCID: PMC8086941 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the unsurpassed sound sensitivity of mosquitoes among arthropods and the sound source power required for long-range hearing, we investigated the distance over which female mosquitoes detect species-specific cues in the sound of station-keeping mating swarms. A common misunderstanding, that mosquitoes cannot hear at long range because their hearing organs are 'particle-velocity' receptors, has clouded the fact that particle velocity is an intrinsic component of sound whatever the distance to the sound source. We exposed free-flying Anopheles coluzzii females to pre-recorded sounds of male An. coluzzii and An. gambiae s.s. swarms over a range of natural sound levels. Sound levels tested were related to equivalent distances between the female and the swarm for a given number of males, enabling us to infer distances over which females might hear large male swarms. We show that females do not respond to swarm sound up to 48 dB sound pressure level (SPL) and that louder SPLs are not ecologically relevant for a swarm. Considering that swarms are the only mosquito sound source that would be loud enough to be heard at long range, we conclude that inter-mosquito acoustic communication is restricted to close-range pair interactions. We also showed that the sensitivity to sound in free-flying males is much enhanced compared to that of tethered ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Feugère
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Gabriella Gibson
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Nicholas C. Manoukis
- Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Daniel K. Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, 64 Nowelo Street, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Olivier Roux
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), 01 BP 545 Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
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Andrés M, Su MP, Albert J, Cator LJ. Buzzkill: targeting the mosquito auditory system. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 40:11-17. [PMID: 32505906 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sound plays an important role in mosquito sensory ecology. Acoustic perception and acoustically driven behaviours therefore represent potentially effective control targets. Previous scientific efforts around acoustic-based control and surveillance have not been systematic and ambiguity around the exact role of acoustic communication in conspecific interactions remains. Here, we briefly review recent advances in mosquito auditory physiology and behavioural ecology as well as ongoing activities to incorporate sound into control and surveillance tools. We highlight areas where increased collaboration between physiologists, molecular biologists, behavioural ecologists and control experts is needed to capitalize on this progress and realize the potential of sound-based technologies and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Andrés
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew P Su
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom; Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Joerg Albert
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom.
| | - Lauren J Cator
- Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and Environment, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom.
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Staunton KM, Usher L, Prachar T, Ritchie SA, Snoad N, Johnson BJ. A Novel Methodology For Recording Wing Beat Frequencies of Untethered Male and Female Aedes aegypti. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2019; 35:169-177. [PMID: 31647706 DOI: 10.2987/18-6799.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is a vector of many significant arboviruses worldwide, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. With vector control methodology pivoting toward rearing and releasing large numbers of insects for either population suppression or virus-blocking, economical remote (sentinel) surveillance methods for release tracking become increasingly necessary. Recent steps in this direction include advances in optical sensors that identify and classify insects based on their wing beat frequency (WBF). As these traps are being developed, there is a strong need to better understand the environmental and biological factors influencing mosquito WBFs. Here, we developed new untethered-subject methodology to detect changes in WBFs of male and female Ae. aegypti. This new methodology involves directing an ultrasonic transducer at a free-flying subject and measuring the Doppler shift of the reflected ultrasonic continuous wave signal. This system's utility was assessed by determining its ability to confirm previous reports on the effect of temperature, body size, and age on the WBFs generated from acoustic or optical-based experiments. The presented ultrasonic method successfully detected expected trends for each factor for both male and female Ae. aegypti without the need for subject manipulation and potential impediment of natural flight dynamics due to tethering. As a result, this ultrasonic methodology provides a new method for understanding the environmental and physiological determinants of male and female WBFs that can inform the design of remote mosquito surveillance systems.
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Pantoja-Sánchez H, Gomez S, Velez V, Avila FW, Alfonso-Parra C. Precopulatory acoustic interactions of the New World malaria vector Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:386. [PMID: 31370863 PMCID: PMC6676525 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3648-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anopheles albimanus is a malaria vector in Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean. Although a public health threat, An. albimanus precopulatory mating behaviors are unknown. Acoustics play important roles in mosquito communication, where flight tones allow males to detect and attract potential mates. The importance of sound in precopulatory interactions has been demonstrated in Toxorhynchites brevipalpis, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles gambiae; convergence in a shared harmonic of the wing beat frequency (WBF) during courtship is thought to increase the chance of copulation. To our knowledge, An. albimanus precopulatory acoustic behaviors have not been described to date. Here, we characterized An. albimanus (i) male and female flight tones; (ii) male–female precopulatory acoustic interactions under tethered and free flight conditions; and (iii) male-male acoustic interactions during free flight. Results We found significant increases in the WBFs of both sexes in free flight compared to when tethered. We observed harmonic convergence between 79% of tethered couples. In free flight, we identified a female-specific behavior that predicts mate rejection during male mating attempts: females increase their WBFs significantly faster during mate rejection compared to a successful copulation. This behavior consistently occurred during mate rejection regardless of prior mating attempts (from the same or differing male). During group flight, males of An. albimanus displayed two distinct flying behaviors: random flight and a swarm-like, patterned flight, each associated with distinct acoustic characteristics. In the transition from random to patterned flight, males converged their WBFs and significantly decreased flight area, male-male proximity and the periodicity of their trajectories. Conclusions We show that tethering of An. albimanus results in major acoustic differences compared to free flight. We identify a female-specific behavior that predicts mate rejection during male mating attempts in this species and show that male groups in free flight display distinct flying patterns with unique audio and visual characteristics. This study shows that An. albimanus display acoustic features identified in other mosquito species, further suggesting that acoustic interactions provide worthwhile targets for mosquito intervention strategies. Our results provide compelling evidence for swarming in this species and suggests that acoustic signaling is important for this behavior. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3648-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoover Pantoja-Sánchez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, SISTEMIC, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia.,Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, PECET, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Gomez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, SISTEMIC, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia.,Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, 055450, Colombia
| | - Viviana Velez
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, PECET, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia
| | - Frank W Avila
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia.
| | - Catalina Alfonso-Parra
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, 055450, Colombia. .,Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, 050010, Colombia.
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Qureshi A, Aldersley A, Hollis B, Ponlawat A, Cator LJ. Male competition and the evolution of mating and life-history traits in experimental populations of Aedes aegypti. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190591. [PMID: 31185872 PMCID: PMC6571471 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is an important disease vector and a major target of reproductive control efforts. We manipulated the opportunity for sexual selection in populations of Ae. aegypti by controlling the number of males competing for a single female. Populations exposed to higher levels of male competition rapidly evolved higher male competitive mating success relative to populations evolved in the absence of competition, with an evolutionary response visible after only five generations. We also detected correlated evolution in other important mating and life-history traits, such as acoustic signalling, fecundity and body size. Our results indicate that there is ample segregating variation for determinants of male mating competitiveness in wild populations and that increased male mating success trades-off with other important life-history traits. The mating conditions imposed on laboratory-reared mosquitoes are likely a significant determinant of male mating success in populations destined for release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alima Qureshi
- 1 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London , Silwood Park, Ascot SL5 7PY , UK
| | - Andrew Aldersley
- 1 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London , Silwood Park, Ascot SL5 7PY , UK
| | - Brian Hollis
- 2 School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Alongkot Ponlawat
- 3 Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Bangkok 10400 , Thailand
| | - Lauren J Cator
- 1 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London , Silwood Park, Ascot SL5 7PY , UK
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12
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Female resistance and harmonic convergence influence male mating success in Aedes aegypti. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2145. [PMID: 30765779 PMCID: PMC6375921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38599-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of mosquito mating biology to reproductive control strategies, a mechanistic understanding of individual mating interactions is currently lacking. Using synchronised high-speed video and audio recordings, we quantified behavioural and acoustic features of mating attempts between tethered female and free-flying male Aedes aegypti. In most couplings, males were actively displaced by female kicks in the early phases of the interaction, while flight cessation prior to adoption of the pre-copulatory mating pose also inhibited copulation. Successful males were kicked at a reduced rate and sustained paired contact-flight for longer than those that were rejected. We identified two distinct phases of acoustic interaction. Rapid frequency modulation of flight tones was observed in all interactions up to acceptance of the male. Harmonic convergence (wingbeat frequency matching) was detected more often in successful attempts, coinciding with the transition to stabilised paired flight and subsequent genital contact. Our findings provide a clearer understanding of the relationship between acoustic interactions and mating performance in mosquitoes, offering insights which may be used to target improvements in laboratory reared lines.
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Menda G, Nitzany EI, Shamble PS, Wells A, Harrington LC, Miles RN, Hoy RR. The Long and Short of Hearing in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti. Curr Biol 2019; 29:709-714.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Lapshin DN, Vorontsov DD. Directional and frequency characteristics of auditory neurons in Culex male mosquitoes. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.208785. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.208785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The paired auditory organ of mosquito, the Johnston's organ (JO), being the receiver of particle velocity component of sound, is directional by its structure. However, to date almost no physiological measurements of its directionality was done. In addition, the recent finding on the grouping of the JO auditory neurons into the antiphase pairs demanded confirmation by different methods. Using the vector superposition of the signals produced by two orthogonally oriented speakers, we measured the directional characteristics of individual units as well as their relations in physiologically distinguishable groups – pairs or triplets. The feedback stimulation method allowed to discriminate responses of the two simultaneously recorded units, and to show that they indeed responded in antiphase. Units of different frequency tuning as well as high-sensitive units (thresholds of 27 dB SPVL and below) were found in every angular sector of the JO, providing the mosquito with the ability to produce complex auditory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry N. Lapshin
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kharkevich Institute) Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow, 127994, Russia
| | - Dmitry D. Vorontsov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences Vavilova 26, Moscow, 119334, Russia
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15
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Su MP, Andrés M, Boyd-Gibbins N, Somers J, Albert JT. Sex and species specific hearing mechanisms in mosquito flagellar ears. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3911. [PMID: 30254270 PMCID: PMC6156513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing is essential for the courtship of one of the major carriers of human disease, the mosquito. Males locate females through flight-tone recognition and both sexes engage in mid-air acoustic communications, which can take place within swarms containing thousands of individuals. Despite the importance of hearing for mosquitoes, its mechanisms are still largely unclear. We here report a multilevel analysis of auditory function across three disease-transmitting mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus). All ears tested display transduction-dependent power gain. Quantitative analyses of mechanotransducer function reveal sex-specific and species-specific variations, including male-specific, highly sensitive transducer populations. Systemic blocks of neurotransmission result in large-amplitude oscillations only in male flagellar receivers, indicating sexually dimorphic auditory gain control mechanisms. Our findings identify modifications of auditory function as a key feature in mosquito evolution. We propose that intra-swarm communication has been a driving force behind the observed sex-specific and species-specific diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Su
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marta Andrés
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Nicholas Boyd-Gibbins
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Jason Somers
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Joerg T Albert
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK.
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6DE, UK.
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Aldersley A, Champneys A, Homer M, Bode NWF, Robert D. Emergent acoustic order in arrays of mosquitoes. Curr Biol 2018; 27:R1208-R1210. [PMID: 29161555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti forms aerial swarms that serve as mating aggregations [1]. Despite lacking the remarkable collective order of other animal ensembles, such as fish and birds [2], the kinematic properties of these swarms bear the hallmarks of local interaction and global cohesion [3,4]. However, the mechanisms responsible for collective behaviour in mosquitoes are not well understood. Mosquitoes use their antennae as hearing organs to locate and interact with one another via the frequencies of sounds generated by their beating wings [5]. Acoustic detection and recognition are known to mediate copula formation in opposite-sex pairs [6], but have not been investigated in larger groups. By recording the flight tones of multiple, tethered, male Ae. aegypti, we test the hypothesis that acoustic signalling is a determinant of swarm morphology and present the first compelling evidence that flight tone interactions between males drive observed group coherence in the frequency domain. We find that group size critically affects collective and individual acoustic traits: cohesive acoustic behaviours emerge in groups of more than six male mosquitoes, occurring to a greater degree than predicted in the absence of interaction. Importantly, acoustic interactions between multiple males differ from those reported previously for same-sex pairs [7,8]. Our findings enable future research targeting key behavioural and reproductive aspects of the biology of mosquitoes of epidemiological importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Aldersley
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Alan Champneys
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Martin Homer
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Nikolai W F Bode
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Daniel Robert
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; Kavli Insitute for Theoretical Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Albert JT, Kozlov AS. Comparative Aspects of Hearing in Vertebrates and Insects with Antennal Ears. Curr Biol 2017; 26:R1050-R1061. [PMID: 27780047 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of hearing in terrestrial animals has resulted in remarkable adaptations enabling exquisitely sensitive sound detection by the ear and sophisticated sound analysis by the brain. In this review, we examine several such characteristics, using examples from insects and vertebrates. We focus on two strong and interdependent forces that have been shaping the auditory systems across taxa: the physical environment of auditory transducers on the small, subcellular scale, and the sensory-ecological environment within which hearing happens, on a larger, evolutionary scale. We briefly discuss acoustical feature selectivity and invariance in the central auditory system, highlighting a major difference between insects and vertebrates as well as a major similarity. Through such comparisons within a sensory ecological framework, we aim to emphasize general principles underlying acute sensitivity to airborne sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg T Albert
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK.
| | - Andrei S Kozlov
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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18
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Villarreal SM, Winokur O, Harrington L. The Impact of Temperature and Body Size on Fundamental Flight Tone Variation in the Mosquito Vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): Implications for Acoustic Lures. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:1116-1121. [PMID: 28402550 PMCID: PMC5850351 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti (L.) males use female flight tone as a means of mate localization. By playing the sound of a flying female, males can be attracted to a trap to monitor mosquito populations and the progress of transgenic male releases. However, the female flight tone used to attract males needs to be optimized to maximize trap effectiveness. The fundamental frequency of female flight tone could be influenced by both body size and ambient temperature. However, no analysis yet has considered both the effect of body size and temperature on female flight tone of Ae. aegypti. Here, we present results for both these factors by recording the sounds of free-flying and tethered females across multiple temperature environments and with females reared for small, medium, and large body sizes. We demonstrate that female fundamental frequency is highly dependent on the environmental temperature, increasing ∼8-13 Hz with each °C gain. Body size and whether a female was tethered or free-flying did not impact the relationship between frequency and temperature, although further analysis is warranted. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between flight tone and temperature, and will inform the design of male mosquito traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M. Villarreal
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 (; ; )
- Current Address: Biology Department, Grinnell College, Noyce Science Center, Grinnell, IA 50112
| | - Olivia Winokur
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 (; ; )
- Current Address: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, UC Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616
| | - Laura Harrington
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 (; ; )
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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19
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Lapshin DN, Vorontsov DD. Frequency organization of the Johnston organ in male mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae). J Exp Biol 2017; 220:3927-3938. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.152017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The Johnston's organs (JO) of mosquitoes are the most complex mechanosensitive organs yet found in insects. Previous findings on behavior of mosquitoes suggest that, together with exceptional sensitivity, their auditory system can discriminate frequencies. Analysis of compound responses of the JO did not provide unambiguous evidence of such discrimination, even less did it help to find its mechanism. Using the feedback stimulation method, we measured the tuning frequencies of the JO sensory neurons. Here we present electrophysiological evidence that male mosquitoes of Culex pipiens possess at least eight groups of auditory neurons which are distinct in their frequency tuning, with individual frequencies ranging from 85 to 470 Hz. Most of the neurons are tuned to 190 – 270 Hz, which corresponds to the difference between a male and a female flight tones. Axons of the JO sensory units propagate graded amplified receptor potentials rather than all-or-none action potentials, are grouped into pairs or triplets and often respond in anti-phase to each other. Some features of the mosquito auditory system suggest an analogy to the retinal mechanisms. Together with our previous findings on frequency tuning in female mosquitoes of different species, this study presents evidence in favor of sophisticated frequency analysis of sound in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry N. Lapshin
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kharkevich Institute), Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow, 127994, Russia
| | - Dmitry D. Vorontsov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 26, Moscow, 119334, Russia
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20
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Cator LJ, Zanti Z. Size, sounds and sex: interactions between body size and harmonic convergence signals determine mating success in Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:622. [PMID: 27906074 PMCID: PMC5133739 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1914-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Several new mosquito control strategies will involve the release of laboratory reared males which will be required to compete with wild males for mates. Currently, the determinants of male mating success remain unclear. The presence of convergence between male and female harmonic flight tone frequencies during a mating attempt have been found to increase male mating success in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Size has also been implicated as a factor in male mating success. Here, we investigated the relationships among body size, harmonic convergence signalling, and mating success. We predicted that harmonic convergence would be an important determinant of mating success and that large individuals would be more likely to converge. Methods We used diet to manipulate male and female body size and then measured acoustic interactions during mating attempts between pairs of different body sizes. Additionally, we used playback experiments to measure the direct effect of size on signalling performance. Results In live pair interactions, harmonic convergence was found to be a significant predictor of copula formation. However, we also found interactions between harmonic convergence behaviour and body size. The probability that a given male successfully formed a copula was a consequence of his size, the size of the female encountered, and whether or not they converged. While convergence appears to be predictive of mating success regardless of size, the positive effect of convergence was modulated by size combinations. In playbacks, adult body size did not affect the probability of harmonic convergence responses. Conclusions Both body size and harmonic convergence signalling were found to be determinants of male mating success. Our results suggest that in addition to measuring convergence ability of mass release lines that the size distribution of released males may need to be adjusted to complement the size distribution of females. We also found that diet amount alone cannot be used to increase male mating success or convergence probability. A clearer understanding of convergence behaviours, their relationship to mating success, and factors influencing convergence ability would provide the groundwork for improving the mating performance of laboratory reared lines. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1914-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J Cator
- Department of Life Sciences, Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and Environment, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Zacharo Zanti
- Department of Life Sciences, Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and Environment, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
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