Visual and thermal stimuli modulate mosquito-host contact with implications for improving malaria vector control tools

Aedes albopictusis not an arbovirus aficionado – Impacts of sylvatic flavivirus infection in vectors and hosts on mosquito engorgement on non-human primates

“…In natural settings, Ae. albopictus is known to feed on a wide range of hosts [33], and preferences can be driven by visual cues such as body size [34].…”

Protocol for rearing and using mosquitoes for flight path tracking and behavioral characterization in wind tunnel bioassays

“…To underpin the precise behavioral steps elicited by a set of cues it is necessary to analyze movement-by-movement the response that the animal exhibited. The implementation of a 3D tracking system can therefore substantially augment the information obtained in a behavioral assay beyond crude endpoints, and can provide insights into the complete sequence of behaviors that take place, 1 , 10 information that otherwise could be lost, and misleading conclusions could be extrapolated without it. Note: The section below describes the generic set up for the 3D tracking system used in our laboratory to track mosquito flight behavior.…”

“… Note: The section below describes the generic set up for the 3D tracking system used in our laboratory to track mosquito flight behavior. 1 , 8 However, it is important to note that there are several 3D tracking systems available, and each system may have different tracking paradigms. For an exhaustive review on the available tracking tools, the advantages and disadvantages of each different tool, and the different aspects that need to be taken into account when setting up a tracking system, we suggest reading Spitzen and Takken’s review.…”

“… Place visual cues in the wind tunnel to allow insects to navigate using optomotor responses. Note: Visual cues can be presented in several ways, e.g., checkerboard pattern projected on the floor of the arena, 19 or square tiles (∼ 9 cm per side) of a color that contrast against the background which can be placed randomly on the floor, 1 e.g., black tiles placed on a white background. Note: It is important to ensure that the tiles or the projected pattern do not interfere with the tracking system.…”

“…Air flow should be laminar and with a wind speed of less than 0.2 m s −1 as indicated in previous studies. 1 , 8 , 20 , 21 , 22 Set up the light source to be used by the insects during the assay. Note: The intensity of the light used depends on the mosquito species and the type of behavior to be examined.…”