Meeting Abstract
Although anthropophilic, hematophagous females are the most studied mosquitos due to their role as vectors for Yellow Fever, Dengue, Malaria and other diseases, the Culicidae also demonstrate a wide range of preferences for non-human hosts. Females of some species are less anthropophilic than others, feeding from an array of vertebrate and even invertebrate animals. Male mosquitos as well as some females are non-hematophagous and feed solely on plant tissues and/or sugars. These differences in host preferences make mosquitos an excellent study group for comparing neural circuitry involved in olfaction, learning and memory, and feeding behaviors. Here we use immunocytochemical methods to detect and compare localization of neuropeptides in both males and females across species in the Culicidae, with particular focus on olfactory pathways in the antennal lobe and mushroom bodies. Differential innervation of these structures by peptidergic neurons is discussed in the context of varying host-seeking behaviors across species. In addition, these results support a role for biogenic amines such as dopamine in mosquito olfaction as well as learning and memory of host-related odors.
