Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Vision and Associated Electrophysiological Techniques
- 1Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- 2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina 29802, USA
- 3Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
- 4Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- ↵5Correspondence: daniel.peach{at}uga.edu
Abstract
Mosquitoes are considered the world's deadliest animal because of the pathogens they spread. Additionally, they are an unbearable nuisance in many areas. Visual stimuli play an important role in the mosquito life cycle, helping them find vertebrate hosts, floral nectar, and oviposition sites. Here, we review mosquito vision, including its influences on mosquito behavior, the photoreceptors involved, and mosquito spectral sensitivity, as well as provide an overview of techniques used for the analysis of mosquito vision, including electroretinograms, single-cell recordings, and the use of opsin-deficient mutants. We anticipate that this information will be useful for researchers studying mosquito physiology, evolution, ecology, and management.
Footnotes
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From the Mosquitoes collection, edited by Laura B. Duvall and Benjamin J. Matthews.
