| Title: | Regulation of oviposition in Anopheles gambiae s.s.: role of inter- and intra-specific signals |
| Author(s): | Sumba LA; Ogbunugafor CB; Deng AL; Hassanali A; |
| Address: | "International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-008-9549-5 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Females of Anopheles gambiae Giles normally oviposit in a large number of fresh, small, sunlit, and spatially spread temporary pools. Such pools are associated with lower levels of predation compared to large, longer-lasting habitats. We compared oviposition levels on preferred (water collected from natural anopheline larval habitats) and non-preferred (distilled water) aqueous substrates by gravid females that contained different densities of conspecific eggs or early and late instar larvae. The presence of conspecific larvae, but not eggs, had a positive or negative effect on the ovipositional responses of gravid An. gambiae females, depending on the quality (preferred or non-preferred by the mosquito) of the oviposition water and the density of larvae. Presence of larvae, at all densities, in distilled water deterred oviposition. However, in natural anopheline pool water, a low density of larvae increased oviposition, whereas a higher density inhibited oviposition. Our results suggest that two signals produced by this mosquito may be involved in regulating oviposition: a volatile pheromone emitted by conspecific larvae, which augments the effect of a volatile signal emitted by preferred habitats, and a non-olfactory cue associated with high densities of larvae that deters oviposition" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Anopheles/growth & development/*physiology Discrimination, Psychological Ecosystem Female Fresh Water Larva/growth & development *Oviposition Water;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineSumba, Leunita A Ogbunugafor, C Brandon Deng, Arop L Hassanali, Ahmed eng D43TW01142/TW/FIC NIH HHS/ U19 AI45511/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2008/10/24 J Chem Ecol. 2008 Nov; 34(11):1430-6. doi: 10.1007/s10886-008-9549-5. Epub 2008 Oct 16" |
