Swarming and mating activity of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in semi-field enclosures.
Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) is the major Afro-tropical vector of malaria. Novel strategies proposed for the elimination and eradication of this mosquito vector are based on the use of genetic approaches, such as the sterile insect technique (SIT). These approaches rely on the ability of released males to mate with wild females, and depend on the application of effective protocols to assess the swarming and mating behaviours of laboratory-reared insects prior to their release. The present study evaluated whether large semi-field enclosures can be utilized to study the ability of males from a laboratory colony to respond to natural environmental stimuli and initiate normal mating behaviour. Laboratory-reared males exhibited spatiotemporally consistent swarming behaviour within the study enclosures. Swarm initiation, peak and termination time closely tracked sunset. Comparable insemination rates were observed in females captured in copula in the semi-field cages relative to females in small laboratory cages. Oviposition rates after blood feeding were also similar to those observed in laboratory settings. The data suggest that outdoor enclosures are suitable for studying swarming and mating in laboratory-bred males in field-like settings, providing an important reference for future studies aimed at assessing the comparative mating ability of strains for SIT and other vector control strategies.
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya.
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Achinko
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, U.K.
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Thailayil
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Scienze Biochimiche, Universita degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
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Paton
Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya.|Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, U.S.A.
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Mireji
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Scienze Biochimiche, Universita degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
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Talesa
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Masiga
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, U.K.|Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Scienze Biochimiche, Universita degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.|Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
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Catteruccia
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
Anopheles gambiae; genetic control; malaria; mating; semi-field; sterile insect technique; swarming; vector control