The influence of late-stage pupal irradiation and increased irradiated: un-irradiated male ratio on mating competitiveness of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis Patton

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E.H. Helinski ◽  
B.G.J. Knols
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Control ◽  
Anopheles Arabiensis ◽  
Pupal Stage ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Malaria Mosquito ◽  
Large Cage ◽  
Mating Competitiveness ◽  
Threefold Increase ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Control Programmes

AbstractCompetitiveness of released males in genetic control programmes is of critical importance. In this paper, we explored two scenarios to compensate for the loss of mating competitiveness after pupal stage irradiation in males of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis. First, competition experiments with a higher ratio of irradiated versus un-irradiated males were performed. Second, pupae were irradiated just prior to emergence and male mating competitiveness was determined.Males were irradiated in the pupal stage with a partially or fully-sterilizing dose of 70 or 120 Gy, respectively. Pupae were irradiated aged 20–26 h (young) as routinely performed, or the pupal stage was artificially prolonged by cooling and pupae were irradiated aged 42–48 h (old). Irradiated males competed at a ratio of 3:1:1 to un-irradiated males for mates in a large cage design.At the 3:1 ratio, the number of females inseminated by males irradiated with 70 Gy as young pupae was similar to the number inseminated by un-irradiated males for the majority of the replicates. At 120 Gy, significantly fewer females were inseminated by irradiated than by un-irradiated males. The irradiation of older pupae did not result in a significantly improved male mating competitiveness compared to the irradiation of young pupae.Our findings indicate that the loss of competitiveness after pupal stage irradiation can be compensated for by a threefold increase of irradiated males, but only for the partially-sterilizing dose. In addition, cooling might be a useful tool to facilitate handling processes of large numbers of mosquitoes in genetic control programmes.

scholarly journals Fluorescent markers rhodamine B and uranine for Anopheles gambiae adults and matings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica i Aviles ◽  
Rachel D Rotenberry ◽  
C Matilda Collins ◽  
Ellen M Dotson ◽  
Mark Q Benedict
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Rhodamine B ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Adult Longevity ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Mating Competitiveness ◽  
Fluorescent Markers ◽  
Auto Fluorescence

Abstract Background Marking mosquitoes is vital for mark-release-recapture and many laboratory studies, but their small size precludes the use of methods that are available for larger animals such as unique identifier tags and radio devices. Fluorescent dust is the most commonly used method to distinguish released individuals from the wild population. Numerous colours and combinations can be used, however, dust sometimes affects longevity and behaviour so alternatives that do not have these effects would contribute substantially. Rhodamine B has previously been demonstrated to be useful for marking adult Aedes aegypti males when added to the sugar meal. Unlike dust, this also marked the seminal fluid making it possible to detect matings by marked males in the spermatheca of females. Here, marking of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto with rhodamine B and uranine was performed to estimate their potential contribution. Methods Two fluorescent markers, rhodamine B and uranine, were dissolved in sugar water and fed to adult An. gambiae. Concentrations that are useful for marking individuals and seminal fluid were determined. The effects on adult longevity, the durability of the marking and detection of the marker in mated females was determined. Male mating competitiveness was also evaluated.Results Rhodamine B marking in adults is detectable for at least three weeks, however uranine marking declines with time and at low doses can be confused with auto-fluorescence. Both can be used for marking seminal fluid which can be detected in females mated by marked males, but, again, at low concentrations uranine-marking is more easily confused with the natural fluorescence of seminal fluid. Neither dye affected mating competitiveness.Conclusions Both markers tested could be useful for field and laboratory studies. Their use has substantial potential to contribute to a greater understanding of the bio-ecology of this important malaria vector. Rhodamine B has the advantage that it appears to be permanent and is less easily confused with auto-fluorescence. The primary limitation of both methods is that sugar feeding is necessary for marking and adults must be held for at least 2 nights to ensure all individuals are marked whereas dusts provide immediate and thorough marking.

scholarly journals A TEST FOR RARE MALE MATING ADVANTAGE WITH DROSOPHILA PSEUDOOBSCURA KARYOTYPES

Genetics ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-589
Author(s):  
Wyatt W Anderson ◽  
Celeste J Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mating Success ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Behavioral Observation ◽  
Drosophila Pseudoobscura ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Mating Advantage ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Laboratory Populations ◽  
Statistical Artifact

ABSTRACT Recent work has called into question the reality of the rare male mating advantage, pointing out that it could be a statistical artifact of marking flies for behavioral observation or of experimental bias in collecting males. We designed an experiment to test for rare male mating advantage that avoids these sources of bias. Large numbers of males of three Drosophila pseudoobscura karyotypes were allowed to mate with females of one karyotype in population cages. The females were then isolated before multiple mating occurred and their progeny used to diagnose the males that mated them. Populations were studied at five sets of male karyotypic frequencies. The mating success of the male homokaryotypes ST/ST and CH/CH, relative to that of the heterokaryotype ST/CH, was frequency dependent. Both ST/ST and CH/CH males displayed a statistically significant mating advantage at low frequency by comparision with their mating success in the midrange of karyotypic frequencies. Both male homokaryotypes also showed a significantly greater mating success at high homokaryotypic frequency than at intermediate frequencies, which is the same as saying that the heterokaryotype not only failed to show a rare male advantage but actually suffered a mating disadvantage at low frequency. We conclude that rare male mating advantage is not always an experimental or methodological artifact but does occur in laboratory populations of D. pseudoobscura. It may occur for some genotypes and not for others, however, and it may be only one of several forms of frequency-dependent mating behavior operating in a population.

Review: Improving our knowledge of male mosquito biology in relation to genetic control programmes

Acta Tropica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. S2-S11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Susan Lees ◽  
Bart Knols ◽  
Romeo Bellini ◽  
Mark Q. Benedict ◽  
Ambicadutt Bheecarry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Control ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Male Mosquito

scholarly journals Male Mating Competitiveness of a Wolbachia-Introgressed Aedes polynesiensis Strain under Semi-Field Conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. e1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric W. Chambers ◽  
Limb Hapairai ◽  
Bethany A. Peel ◽  
Hervé Bossin ◽  
Stephen L. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Field Conditions ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Mating Competitiveness ◽  
Aedes Polynesiensis

scholarly journals The effects of genetic manipulation, dieldrin treatment and irradiation on the mating competitiveness of male Anopheles arabiensis in field cages

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanano Yamada ◽  
Marc JB Vreysen ◽  
Jeremie RL Gilles ◽  
Givemore Munhenga ◽  
David D Damiens
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Arabiensis ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Mating Competitiveness

scholarly journals A 15N stable isotope semen label to detect mating in the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis Patton

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle EH Helinski ◽  
Rebecca C Hood ◽  
Doris Gludovacz ◽  
Leo Mayr ◽  
Bart GJ Knols
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Anopheles Arabiensis ◽  
Malaria Mosquito ◽  
15N Stable Isotope

Courtship Behavior of the Small-Mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma Texanum): the Effects of Conspecific Males On Male Mating Tactics

Behaviour ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 121 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott R. McWilliams
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Sibling Species ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Mating Tactics ◽  
Defense Behavior ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Ambystoma Texanum ◽  
Sexual Interference ◽  
Intermale Competition

Abstract1. The courtship behavior of A. texanum consisted of a rapid nudging period followed by males producing many spermatophores, some of which were picked up by the female. Neither amplexus or leading by the male were integral components of courtship. Consequently, proposed geographic variation in A. texanum courtship remains unsubstantiated. 2. Courtship behavior of A. texanum and A. barbouri (formerly pond and stream form A. texanum, respectively) is very similar; only the location of courtship and perhaps the frequency of sexual interference tactics are different for these two sibling species. 3. A. texanum courtship is rapid, males produce large numbers of spermatophores per courtship and invest little courtship time per spermatophore, and intermale competition is extreme. 4. Male A. texanum promote their sexual success using sexual interference behavior (e.g. covering other spermatophores with their own) and to a lesser degree sexual defense behavior (e.g. forcefully nudging rival males). 5. Male sexual success is primarily enhanced directly - A. texanum males increase the number of spermatophores produced when at least two other males are courting the same female. The temporal allocation of these additional spermatophores is adaptive only if males are maximizing the number of ejaculates per female or breeding typically occurs in polygamous aggregations.

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