Learning and Memory in Disease Vector Insects

Vinauger, Clément; Lahondère, Chloé; Cohuet, Anna; Lazzari, Cláudio R.; Riffell, Jeffrey A.

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2016.06.003

Cited by 40 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…By modulating responses to host-related olfactory cues such as L-(+)-lactic acid and 1-octen-3-ol [51-53], as well as impacting the efficiency of popular insect repellents such as DEET [53], individual experience certainly plays an important role in mosquito host choice and preference. As learning abilities might affect mosquitoes biting behavior patterns amongst host populations, and consequently the rate of parasite transmission, it is thus important to consider them in epidemiological models and to develop efficient control strategies [49, 53-56]. …”

Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Lutz

Lahondère

Vinauger

et al. 2017

Current Opinion in Insect Science

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Mosquitoes transmit many debilitating diseases including malaria, dengue and Zika. Odors mediate behaviors that directly impact disease transmission (blood-feeding) as well as life history events that contribute to mosquito survival and fitness (mating and oviposition, nectar foraging, larval foraging and predator avoidance). In addition to innate olfaction-mediated behaviors, mosquitoes rely on olfactory experience throughout their life to inform advantageous choices in many of these important behaviors. Previous reviews have addressed either the chemical ecology of mosquitoes, or olfactory-driven behaviors including host-feeding or oviposition. Adding to this literature, we use a holistic life history perspective to integrate and compare innate and learned olfactory behavior at various stages of mosquito development.

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Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Lutz

Lahondère

Vinauger

et al. 2017

Current Opinion in Insect Science

Self Cite

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“…Mosquitoes are also capable of associative learning, which is the process of learning the association between two stimuli 4 , in the context of feeding 5 , or responding to odour cues 6–10 . Also, learning in mosquito vectors could significantly influence virus transmission through host contact and survival rate 9 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dengue virus infection changes Aedes aegypti oviposition olfactory preferences

Gaburro

Paradkar

Klein

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, main vectors for numerous flaviviruses, have olfactory preferences and are capable of olfactory learning especially when seeking their required environmental conditions to lay their eggs. In this study, we showed that semiochemical conditions during Aedes aegypti larval rearing affected future female choice for oviposition: water-reared mosquitoes preferred to lay eggs in water or p-cresol containers, while skatole reared mosquitoes preferred skatole sites. Using two independent behavioural assays, we showed that this skatole preference was lost in mosquitoes infected with dengue virus. Viral RNA was extracted from infected female mosquito heads, and an increase of virus load was detected from 3 to 10 days post infection, indicating replication in the insect head and possibly in the central nervous system. Expression of selected genes, potentially implied in olfactory learning processes, were also altered during dengue infection. Based on these results, we hypothesise that dengue virus infection alters gene expression in the mosquito’s head and is associated with a loss of olfactory preferences, possibly modifying oviposition site choice of female mosquitoes.

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“…Recent advances in disease vector pest management have highlighted the importance of understanding the effects of experience on insect behavior [23,24,25]. Human disease vectors, such as mosquitoes [26,27,28,29,30], kissing bugs [31,32], tsetse flies [33,34], and sandflies [35], demonstrate ecologically significant learning events, driving host selection and oviposition site preferences via visual, olfactory, and even thermal stimulus experiences [23]. Similarly, D. citri behaviors, ranging from host preference to mate choice, may be guided by experience-dependent visual and olfactory associations with the host environment and conspecifics [36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male Psyllids Differentially Learn in the Context of Copulation

Stockton

Martini

Stelinski

2017

Insects

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In the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, stimulatory cuticular hydrocarbons act as sex pheromone attractants. Male psyllids locate aggregations of females using those olfactory cues, as well as vibrational communication on the plant surface. Although previous research has indicated that learning plays a role in modulating female reproductive behaviors in psyllids, it is unknown whether males similarly use learning to increase the likelihood of copulatory success. We used an olfactometer-based bio-assay to study the effects of experience on male response to female odor. First, we compared male attraction to female odor in virgin and previously mated males. Second, we tested the effect of several modes of experience with a novel odor, vanillin, to determine whether mating, feeding, or general environmental exposure elicited a learned response. We found that male attraction to female odor significantly increased after mating experience. In addition, we found that males learn about odor specifically in the context of mating, rather than feeding or general exposure. Electrophysiological measurements of antennal response to odorants confirmed that mating status did not affect the sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system to volatile stimuli implicating learning at the level of the central nervous system. These results suggest that male response to female odor is not an entirely innate behavior. Males may require mating experience with female conspecifics to develop attraction to those olfactory cues produced by the female and in association with the female’s habitat. This adaptive plasticity may allow males to detect females in an ever-changing environment and promote diversification and further specialization on different host genotypes.

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Learning and Memory in Disease Vector Insects

Cited by 40 publications

References 58 publications

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Dengue virus infection changes Aedes aegypti oviposition olfactory preferences

Male Psyllids Differentially Learn in the Context of Copulation

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