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 |
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Article number | 180246 |
Journal | Royal Society Open Science |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Aug 2018 |
Keywords
- Anopheles coluzzii
- Avoidance manoeuvres
- Host-seeking
- Insect flight behaviour
- Trap efficiency
- Vector control
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Supplementary material from "Flight behaviour of malaria mosquitoes around odour-baited traps: capture and escape dynamics"
Cribellier, A. (Creator), van Erp, J. (Creator), Hiscox, A. (Creator), Lankheet, M. (Creator), van Leeuwen, J. (Creator), Spitzen, J. (Creator) & Muijres, F. (Creator), Wageningen University & Research, 6 Aug 2018
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4172405
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