Evaluating Egg-Laying Preference of Individual Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

Abstract

Egg-laying behavior in insects has a dramatic impact on their fitness, controlling their extent and distribution across ecosystems. Thus, understanding the cues that guide mosquito egg laying is an important goal. Measuring mosquito egg-laying preference is critically important for understanding the sensory and neural mechanisms guiding adaptive breeding decisions. Here, we present a method for ascertaining the egg-laying preference of individual Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in small chambers with two distinct oviposition substrate choices. This assay is best suited for medium- to high-throughput analysis of egg-laying preference to liquids containing distinct contact chemosensory cues, such as differing salinities. We discuss all steps of the process from assay construction and setup to data acquisition and analysis.