Abstract
Sexual dimorphism, a poorly understood but crucial aspect of vector mosquito biology, encompasses sex-specific physical, physiological, and behavioral traits related to mosquito reproduction. The study of mosquito sexual dimorphism has largely focused on analysis of the differences between adult female and male mosquitoes, particularly with respect to sex-specific behaviors related to disease transmission. However, sexually dimorphic behaviors are the products of differential gene expression that initiates during development and therefore must also be studied during development. Recent technical advancements are facilitating functional genetic studies in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti, an emerging model for mosquito development. These methodologies, many of which could be extended to other non-model insect species, are facilitating analysis of the development of sexual dimorphism in neural tissues, particularly the olfactory system. These studies are providing insight into the neurodevelopmental genetic basis for sexual dimorphism in vector mosquitoes.
Highlights
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Chemical Ecology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
The study of mosquito sexual dimorphism has largely focused on analysis of the differences between adult female and male mosquitoes, with respect to sex-specific behaviors related to disease transmission
Mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti, which exhibits innate sexually dimorphic behaviors that contribute to the transmission of dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, are excellent subjects for studies that examine the biological basis of sexual dimorphism
Summary
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Chemical Ecology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. The study of mosquito sexual dimorphism has largely focused on analysis of the differences between adult female and male mosquitoes, with respect to sex-specific behaviors related to disease transmission. Recent technical advancements are facilitating functional genetic studies in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti, an emerging model for mosquito development.
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