The Effects of Sulcatone and Larval Crowding on Oviposition Site Selection of Aedes aegypti

Abstract

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a vector responsible for multiple diseases globally, including Dengue fever and the Zika Virus. Olfactory cues are crucial in both host seeking and oviposition site selection, allowing the species to survive in human habitats and transmit arboviruses from one person to the next. Previous studies have identified that the evolution of the mosquito’s human preference may be attributed to an odorant receptor for sulcatone, a compound abundant in human odor. Other works with the malaria vector mosquito suggest that sulcatone may actually repulsive in the context of oviposition. Here, I developed a dual‐choice oviposition bioassay in order to analyze the role that sulcatone and larval crowding play in 3 variants of Ae. aegypti. Results suggest that sulcatone may be attractive in isolation. Results also imply that gravid females are attracted to low densities of larvae in the water, with attraction increasing to a point and then switching to repulsion at higher densities. Implications for vector control and the role that sulcatone can play in gravid traps are discussed.