Variation in host preferences of malaria mosquitoes is mediated by skin bacterial volatiles

TY - JOUR

T1 - Variation in host preferences of malaria mosquitoes is mediated by skin bacterial volatiles

AU - Busula, A. O.

AU - Takken, W.

AU - de Boer, J. G.

AU - Mukabana, W. R.

AU - Verhulst, N. O.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank David O. Alila (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya) and Elisha Kobudho (Mbita, Kenya), for rearing and providing the mosquitoes used in the present experiments. Collins Mweresa and Faith Kyengo (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya), for logistical support. Elisha Kobudho and Solomon Ochieng (Mbita, Kenya), are thanked for their help in collecting skin bacteria. Saskia Burgers (Biometris, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands), is appreciated for statistical support. This study received financial support from the Earth and Life Sciences Foundation (Veni-ALW 863.13.012) and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (TOP-grant ZonMW 91211038) of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). AOB was hosted by the Thomas Odhiambo Campus, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology as a dissertation research internship scholar. Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Authors. Medical and Veterinary Entomology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Royal Entomological Society.

PY - 2017/9

Y1 - 2017/9

N2 - The host preferences of the anthropophilic mosquito species in the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae) are mediated by skin bacterial volatiles. However, it is not known whether these mosquitoes respond differentially to skin bacterial volatiles from non-human host species. In this study, the responses of two malaria mosquito species in the An. gambiae complex, Anopheles gambiae s.s. (hereafter, An. gambiae) and Anopheles arabiensis, with different host preferences, to volatiles released from skin bacteria were tested. Skin bacteria collected from human, cow and chicken skin significantly increased trap catches; traps containing bacteria collected from human skin caught the highest proportions of An. gambiae and An. arabiensis. Traps with bacteria of human origin caught a significantly higher proportion of An. gambiae than of An. arabiensis, whereas bacterial volatiles from the chicken attracted significantly higher numbers of An. arabiensis than of An. gambiae. Additionally, An. gambiae showed a specialized response to volatiles from four specific bacteria, whereas An. arabiensis responded equally to all species of bacteria tested. Skin bacterial volatiles may therefore play important roles in guiding mosquitoes with different host preferences. The identification of these bacterial volatiles can contribute to the development of an odour blend that attracts mosquitoes with different host preferences.

AB - The host preferences of the anthropophilic mosquito species in the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae) are mediated by skin bacterial volatiles. However, it is not known whether these mosquitoes respond differentially to skin bacterial volatiles from non-human host species. In this study, the responses of two malaria mosquito species in the An. gambiae complex, Anopheles gambiae s.s. (hereafter, An. gambiae) and Anopheles arabiensis, with different host preferences, to volatiles released from skin bacteria were tested. Skin bacteria collected from human, cow and chicken skin significantly increased trap catches; traps containing bacteria collected from human skin caught the highest proportions of An. gambiae and An. arabiensis. Traps with bacteria of human origin caught a significantly higher proportion of An. gambiae than of An. arabiensis, whereas bacterial volatiles from the chicken attracted significantly higher numbers of An. arabiensis than of An. gambiae. Additionally, An. gambiae showed a specialized response to volatiles from four specific bacteria, whereas An. arabiensis responded equally to all species of bacteria tested. Skin bacterial volatiles may therefore play important roles in guiding mosquitoes with different host preferences. The identification of these bacterial volatiles can contribute to the development of an odour blend that attracts mosquitoes with different host preferences.

KW - Anopheles arabiensis

KW - Anopheles gambiae

KW - anthropophilic

KW - attraction

KW - bacteria

KW - host finding

KW - microbiota

KW - odours

KW - opportunistic

KW - vectors

U2 - 10.1111/mve.12242

DO - 10.1111/mve.12242

M3 - Article

C2 - 28639690

AN - SCOPUS:85021257025

SN - 0269-283X

VL - 31

SP - 320

EP - 326

JO - Medical and Veterinary Entomology

JF - Medical and Veterinary Entomology

IS - 3

ER -