THE ROLE OF GUSTATION AND PROBOSCIS ON OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOR OF THE SOUTHERN HOUSE MOSQUITO

Authors

Keywords:

Culex quinquefasciatus, 4-ETHYLPHENOL, GUSTATORY STIMULANT, OLFACTORY ATTRACTANT, EGG LAYING.

Abstract

Understanding the behavioral ecology of mosquitoes is critical to the development of monitoring and management tools. Taste is known to affect the behavior of mosquitoes, but information about their role in oviposition is scarce. 4-Ethylphenol (4EP) elevates mosquito oviposition and is commonly referred to as an olfactory stimulant. However, few studies provide evidence to support this conclusion, and even fewer have tested the role of 4EP as a taste stimulant. Here we use the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) as a model to address these questions. In oviposition tests, Cx. quinquefasciatus preferred a 4EP solution over a control solution (solvent) (p=0.0021, 40 gravid females/cage, n=18 cages). In olfaction tests, it was inferred that this preference was caused by taste stimuli since 4EP and control solutions were selected at similar rates by mosquitoes (p=0.84, n=14). Subsequently, 4EP olfactory cues, olfactory and taste cues, or control (solvent) were offered. In two-choice trials, mosquitoes clearly preferred ovipositing at sites with olfactory and taste cues compared to sites containing only olfactory cues or a control (p≤0.0016, n=30). Similar results were observed in four-choice trials (p<0.0001, n=24), confirming the relevance of 4EP as a taste and its irrelevance as a smell for the gravid mosquitoes. To determine the organ involved in such gustatory stimulus, we compared the oviposition of mosquitoes whose proboscis were ablated with that of control (intact) mosquitoes. Ablated and control mosquitoes had similar oviposition capacities (p=0.48, n=8). However, ablated females did not respond to 4EP (p=0.45, n=8), while control females strongly preferred 4EP (p=0.003, n=8). It is concluded that 4EP does not work as a short-range oviposition attractant for Cx. quinquefasciatus, as has been widely discussed in the literature. Instead, 4EP acts as a gustatory stimulant for oviposition and is critically detected by the mosquito proboscis.

Author Biography

Cherre Sade Bezerra da Silva, Embrapa Algodão

Entomologia

Published

2019-10-20

How to Cite

Silva, C. S. B. da. (2019). THE ROLE OF GUSTATION AND PROBOSCIS ON OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOR OF THE SOUTHERN HOUSE MOSQUITO. Caderno Verde De Agroecologia E Desenvolvimento Sustentável, 9(5), b–111. Retrieved from https://gvaa.com.br/revista/index.php/CVADS/article/view/7284