Male and Female Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Attraction to Sound and Its Relevance to Potential Applications in Vector Surveillance

Abstract

Abstract Mosquito hearing is a complex process primarily involved in intraspecific communication between males and females. Although mosquitoes previously were believed to possess a relatively rudimentary auditory system, we now know that they can hear sounds at greater distances and process sounds through an efferent pathway, similar to vertebrates. In mating swarms, mosquitoes use acoustic signals created by conspecific wingbeats to locate and respond to one another through harmonic convergence. Male capture is an emerging area of interest for monitoring sterile insect release programs, and numerous studies have explored using female flight tones (wing-beat frequencies) to attract and capture male mosquitoes by altering or developing novel acoustic traps. It is also important to consider sound pattern, volume, and sound pressure levels of broadcasted noises, as well as implementing other attractive cues, such as swarm markers, to acoustic traps to increase success in the field. Female attraction to sound-baited traps has also been explored in the laboratory and field, using frequencies similar to male wing-beats and stereotypical vertebrate host calls, such as frogs and birds. In this review, the physiological and behavioral aspects of mosquito hearing are explored, as well as the importance of acoustic signals for mate choice and successful mating. The use of acoustic traps for male and female capture are discussed, as well as the implications for vector surveillance, and the limitations to using these traps.