Abstract
Host-seeking mosquitoes rely on a range of sensory cues to find and approach blood hosts, as well as to avoid host detection. By using odour blends and visual cues that attract anthropophilic mosquitoes, odour-baited traps have been developed to monitor and control human pathogen-transmitting vectors. Although long-range attraction of such traps has already been studied thoroughly, close-range response of mosquitoes to these traps has been largely ignored. Here, we studied the flight behaviour of female malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles coluzzii) in the immediate vicinity of a commercially available odour-baited trap, positioned in a hanging and standing orientation. By analysing more than 2500 three-dimensional flight tracks, we elucidated how mosquitoes reacted to the trap, and how this led to capture. The measured flight dynamics revealed two distinct stereotypical behaviours: (i) mosquitoes that approached a trap tended to simultaneously fly downward towards the ground; (ii) mosquitoes that came close to a trap changed their flight direction by rapidly accelerating upward. The combination of these behaviours led to strikingly different flight patterns and capture dynamics, resulting in contrasting short-range attractiveness and capture mechanism of the oppositely oriented traps. These new insights may help in improving odour-baited traps, and consequently their contribution in global vector control strategies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 180246 |
| Journal | Royal Society Open Science |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Aug 2018 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Anopheles coluzzii
- Avoidance manoeuvres
- Host-seeking
- Insect flight behaviour
- Trap efficiency
- Vector control
Cite this
}
Flight behaviour of malaria mosquitoes around odour-baited traps : Capture and escape dynamics. / Cribellier, Antoine; van Erp, Jens A.; Hiscox, Alexandra; Lankheet, Martin J.; van Leeuwen, Johan L.; Spitzen, Jeroen; Muijres, Florian T.
In: Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 5, No. 8, 180246, 08.08.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Flight behaviour of malaria mosquitoes around odour-baited traps
T2 - Capture and escape dynamics
AU - Cribellier, Antoine
AU - van Erp, Jens A.
AU - Hiscox, Alexandra
AU - Lankheet, Martin J.
AU - van Leeuwen, Johan L.
AU - Spitzen, Jeroen
AU - Muijres, Florian T.
PY - 2018/8/8
Y1 - 2018/8/8
N2 - Host-seeking mosquitoes rely on a range of sensory cues to find and approach blood hosts, as well as to avoid host detection. By using odour blends and visual cues that attract anthropophilic mosquitoes, odour-baited traps have been developed to monitor and control human pathogen-transmitting vectors. Although long-range attraction of such traps has already been studied thoroughly, close-range response of mosquitoes to these traps has been largely ignored. Here, we studied the flight behaviour of female malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles coluzzii) in the immediate vicinity of a commercially available odour-baited trap, positioned in a hanging and standing orientation. By analysing more than 2500 three-dimensional flight tracks, we elucidated how mosquitoes reacted to the trap, and how this led to capture. The measured flight dynamics revealed two distinct stereotypical behaviours: (i) mosquitoes that approached a trap tended to simultaneously fly downward towards the ground; (ii) mosquitoes that came close to a trap changed their flight direction by rapidly accelerating upward. The combination of these behaviours led to strikingly different flight patterns and capture dynamics, resulting in contrasting short-range attractiveness and capture mechanism of the oppositely oriented traps. These new insights may help in improving odour-baited traps, and consequently their contribution in global vector control strategies.
AB - Host-seeking mosquitoes rely on a range of sensory cues to find and approach blood hosts, as well as to avoid host detection. By using odour blends and visual cues that attract anthropophilic mosquitoes, odour-baited traps have been developed to monitor and control human pathogen-transmitting vectors. Although long-range attraction of such traps has already been studied thoroughly, close-range response of mosquitoes to these traps has been largely ignored. Here, we studied the flight behaviour of female malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles coluzzii) in the immediate vicinity of a commercially available odour-baited trap, positioned in a hanging and standing orientation. By analysing more than 2500 three-dimensional flight tracks, we elucidated how mosquitoes reacted to the trap, and how this led to capture. The measured flight dynamics revealed two distinct stereotypical behaviours: (i) mosquitoes that approached a trap tended to simultaneously fly downward towards the ground; (ii) mosquitoes that came close to a trap changed their flight direction by rapidly accelerating upward. The combination of these behaviours led to strikingly different flight patterns and capture dynamics, resulting in contrasting short-range attractiveness and capture mechanism of the oppositely oriented traps. These new insights may help in improving odour-baited traps, and consequently their contribution in global vector control strategies.
KW - Anopheles coluzzii
KW - Avoidance manoeuvres
KW - Host-seeking
KW - Insect flight behaviour
KW - Trap efficiency
KW - Vector control
U2 - 10.1098/rsos.180246
DO - 10.1098/rsos.180246
M3 - Article
VL - 5
JO - Royal Society Open Science
JF - Royal Society Open Science
SN - 2054-5703
IS - 8
M1 - 180246
ER -