Abstract
ABSTRACTThe detection of water sources is crucial for insects such as mosquitoes to avoid desiccation and survive. In addition, mosquitoes use humidity cues to successfully navigate the environment to find a suitable oviposition site. Previous studies have implicated some members of the ionotropic receptor family in humidity sensing by Drosophila. Here, we investigate if IR8a co-receptor mediates water detection in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Using a simple behavioral assay, we examined the attraction of Ir8a mutant mosquitoes to standing water. Ir8a mutant mosquitoes were able to discriminate between traps containing water and those without as well as wild-type and heterozygous control females. Surprisingly, the female mutants were more robustly drawn to standing water than control mosquitoes. Further investigation revealed that the increased behavioral attraction to water is likely not mediated by a metabolic need or an activity defect.
Highlights
The detection of water sources is crucial for insects such as mosquitoes to avoid desiccation and survive
Insects possess two distinct systems for detecting water sources: the gustatory system, which is tuned to sensing liquid water [10,11], and the hygrosensory system required for detecting water vapor [4,5]
We asked if the strong attraction to water recorded in Ir8a mutant females is due to physiological need for hydration or carbohydrates
Summary
The detection of water sources is crucial for insects such as mosquitoes to avoid desiccation and survive. KEYWORDS IR8a; water; hygrosensation; mutant; mosquito; Aedes aegypti Ir8a mutant female mosquitoes were more strongly attracted to the water trap than the wild-type and heterozygous controls (Figure 2(a)).
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