Functions of the Auditory System of Female Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae)

Abstract: Female mosquitoes possess a complex auditory system whose biological function is not yet fully understood. When approaching one another, male and female mosquitoes are known to adjust their wingbeat frequencies. To make such interaction possible, the insects need to hear one another and to be able to discriminate frequencies. Some recent data indicate that female mosquitoes can also detect their hosts using the acoustic channel. In the latter case, the parameters of mosquito’s hearing can be expected to match the acoustic properties of noises or other sounds emitted by the host animals. A question arises whether mosquitoes can detect humans by their voices. We studied females of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) excrucians Walker, a species abundant in the biotopes where people are likely to be found, such as river banks, woodland patches, and parks adjoining residential areas. The frequency-threshold characteristics of mosquito’s auditory receptors were measured in electrophysiological experiments. The highest sensitivity of most receptors in female A. excrucians was found to lie in the frequency range from 40 to 140 Hz, with minimum threshold values of 32–40 dB SPVL (Sound Particle Velocity Level). Comparison of the frequency-threshold characteristics of mosquito’s auditory receptors with the averaged spectra of human speech shows that, in most cases, female mosquitoes can hear human voices and can use them as a cue for locating and attacking humans. © 2023, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.