Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-23T08:59:34.212Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The location of floral nectar sources by mosquitoes: an advanced bioassay for volatile plant odours and initial studies with Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

P. C. Jepson  and
T. P. Healy
P. C. Jepson
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Southampton University, Medical & Biological Sciences Building, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton, SO9 3TU, UK
T. P. Healy
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Southampton University, Medical & Biological Sciences Building, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton, SO9 3TU, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The development and testing of a bioassay system to evaluate the potency of floral odours as mediators of long-range floral nectar source location by mosquitoes are described. The bioassay is quantitative and behaviourally discriminating, upwind flying and landing acting as indices of behavioural activity over the 24-h light:dark cycle. In initial tests, the responses of Aedes aegypti (L.) to the flowers and floral odours of ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) were investigated. A. aegypti exhibited a biphasic diel cycle of nectar-feeding behaviour and landed on modified flowers that retained either their disc or ray florets. Most significantly, the mosquitoes responded in a similar way to the odour of L. vulgare in the absence of visual stimuli or nutritional cues. They did not respond to solvent extracts of ox-eye daisy flowers.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 78 , Issue 4 , December 1988 , pp. 641 - 650
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baker, R. J. & Nelder, J. A. (1978). The GLIM manual release 3.—Rothamsted Experimental Station.Google Scholar
Chang, S. L. (1966). An investigation of the influence of floral scents on aggregation behaviour of the mosquito Aedes aegypti L, (Culicidae: Diptera).—Pl. Prot. Bull. Taiwan 8, 50–63.Google Scholar
Clements, A. N. (1955). The sources of energy for flight in mosquitoes.—J. exp. Biol. 32, 547–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grimstad, P. R. & DeFoliart, G. R. (1974). Nectar sources of Wisconsin mosquitoes.—J. med. Entomol. 11, 331–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grimstad, P. R. & DeFoliart, G. R. (1975). Mosquito nectar feeding in Wisconsin in relation to twilight and microclimate.—J. med. Entomol. 11, 691–698.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haeger, J. S. (1955). The non-blood feeding habits of Aedes taeniorhynchus (Diptera, Culicidae) on Sanibel Island, Florida.—Mosquito News 15, 21–26.Google Scholar
McCrae, A. W. R., Boreham, P. F. L. & Ssenkubuge, Y. (1976). The behavioural ecology of host selection in Anopheles implexus (Theobald) (Diptera, Culicidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 66, 587–631.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magnarelli, L. A. (1977). Nectar feeding by Aedes sollicitans and its relation to gonotrophic activity.—Environ. Entomol. 6, 237–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nayar, J. K. & Sauerman, D. M. Jr. (1971). The effects of diet on life-span, fecundity and flight potential of Aedes taeniorhynchus adults.—J. med. Entomol. 8, 506–513.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nayar, J. K. & Van Handel, E. (1971). The fuel for sustained mosquito flight.—J. Insect Physiol. 17, 471–481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelder, J. A. (1974). Log linear models for contingency tables: a generalisation of classical least squares.—Appl. Statist. 23, 323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelder, J. A. & Wedderburn, R. W. M. (1972). Generalised linear models.—Jl R. statist. Soc. (A) 135, 370.Google Scholar
Sandholm, H. A. & Price, R. D. (1962). Field observations on the nectar feeding habits of some Minnesota mosquitoes.—Mosquito News 22, 346–349.Google Scholar
Siegel, S. (1956). Non-parametric statistics for the behavioural sciences.—McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Thorsteinson, A. J. & Brust, R. A. (1962). The influence of flower scents on aggregations of caged adult Aedes aegypti.—Mosquito News 22, 349–351.Google Scholar
Vargo, A. M. & Foster, W. A. (1982). Responsiveness of female Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) to flower extracts.—J. med. Entomol. 19, 710–718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wensler, R. J. D. (1972). The effect of odors on the behavior of adult Aedes aegypti and some factors limiting responsiveness.—Can. J. Zool. 50, 415–420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed