BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE OF ANOPHELES PSEUDOPUCTIPENNIS AND AEDES AEGYPTI LARVAE TO ATTRACTANT AND REPELLENT SUBSTANCES: A VIDEO-TRACKING ANALYSIS.

PAULA V. GONZALEZ; AGUSTÍN ALVAREZ COSTA; MASUH HECTOR

Foz de Iguaçú

Congreso; 32nd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology; 2016

The International Society of Chemical Ecology

Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (Theobald) and Aedes aegypti (L.) are vectors of Malaria and the Dengue Fever in Latin-America. The ability to detect a wide range of sensory cues is essential for the survival and vectorial capacity of mosquitoes. This investigation focuses on the analysis of olfactory-driven behavior in An. pseudopunctipennis and Ae. aegypti larvae to respond to synthetic or natural odorant stimuli.In our laboratory we used the video-tracking software (Etho Vision XT10.1) and established a simple and sensitive behavior assay. Single fourth instar larvae were recorded in an experimental arena, and behavioral traits were analyzed and quantified to a range of two odorant stimuli in both species. The odorant were N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (Deet), commercial insect repellent, and yeast, a normal component of larval food.In both species, the results were consistent with the exito-repellency hypothesis. When larvae were exposed to a repellent compound, such as DEET, they exhibit an increase in overall movement and velocity. In contrast, yeast, a known attractant, leads to a reduction in the movement and velocity of larvae, while the average resting time is increased. However, the intensity of the effects of these compounds were weaker to Anopheles than Aedes, because Anopheles larvae have few movements and they were abrupt in comparison with the movements of the other specie that were more constant in an ondulating way.The study of the behavior of attraction and repellency is very important, as it could contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of olfaction in An. pseudopuctipennis and Ae. aegypti larvae and lay the foundation to advance in alternatives to mosquito control strategies focused on adult life stages.This work was supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica (PICT 2012- 1857).