Learned host preference in a Chagas disease vector, Rhodnius prolixus

Abstract

It has been largely assumed that the individual experience of disease vector insects may affect host choice and, as a consequence, have an important influence on parasite transmission. In particular, it is speculated that vector insects should be able to learn and remember the most and/or less defensive hosts, shifting their preference accordingly. Nevertheless, despite the invested efforts in testing the capacity to learn and remember information of blood-sucking insects, only little conclusive information has been obtained hitherto. Recently, the ability of Rhodnius prolixus to associate a behaviourally neutral odour to the perspective of either obtaining a blood-meal or being punished has been demonstrated, the same odour becoming attractant or repellent for the bugs, respectively, according to the individual previous experience. The present work represents a step forward in the study of the cognitive abilities of Chagas disease vectors and their influence on host choice. We tested whether or not bugs bias their choice for a host based on the association of its odour with a negative experience. Our results show that whereas naïve bugs presented no preference when confronted to the odour of two different hosts, bugs previously exposed to the contingency of the odour of one host and a mechanical perturbation mimicking defensive behaviour, biased their preference towards the other host. This constitutes the first evidence of olfactory conditioning to host odours in triatomine bugs, vectors of Chagas disease and one of the few available up to date on haematophagous insects. The epidemiological significance of this finding is discussed.