Characterization of lab-based swarms of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 3D-video tracking.

ABSTRACT: Mosquito copulation is a crucial determinant of its capacity to transmit malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites as well as underpinning several highly-anticipated vector control methodologies such as gene drive and sterile insect technique. For the anopheline mosquitoes responsible for African malaria transmission, mating takes place within crepuscular male swarms which females enter solely to mate. However, the mechanisms that regulate swarm structure or that govern mate choice remain opaque. We used 3D-video tracking approaches and computer vision algorithms developed for the study of other complex biological systems to document swarming behavior of a lab-adapted Anopheles gambiae line in a lab-based setting. By reconstructing trajectories of individual mosquitoes lasting up to 15.88 s, in

SUBMITTER: Cavagna A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10229557 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature