@article{fdi:010077846,
  title = {{S}ex aggregation and species segregation cues in swarming mosquitoes : role of ground visual markers},
  author = {{P}oda, {S}. {B}. and {N}ignan, {C}. and {G}nankin{\'e}, {O}. and {D}abir{\'e}, {R}. {K}. and {D}iabat{\'e}, {A}. and {R}oux, {O}livier},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {M}ating swarm segregation in closely related insect species may contribute to reproductive isolation. {V}isual markers are used for swarm formation; however, it is unknown whether they play a key role in swarm location, species segregation and sex aggregation. {M}ethods: {U}sing two sympatric closely related species of the {A}nopheles gambiae complex, {A}n. coluzzii and {A}n. gambiae (s.s.), we investigated in both laboratory and semi-field conditions (i) whether males of the two species use visual markers (black cloths) to locate their swarm; and (ii) whether the presence/absence and size of the marker may differentially affect swarm characteristics. {W}e also investigated whether conspecific virgin females use these markers to join male swarm sites. {R}esults: {W}e showed that males of the two species used visual markers but in different ways: {A}n. coluzzii swarm right above the marker whereas {A}n. gambiae (s.s.) locate their swarm at a constant distance of 76.4 +/- 0.6 cm from a 20 x 20 cm marker in the laboratory setup and at 206 +/- 6 cm from a 60 x 60 cm marker in the semi-field setup. {A}lthough increased marker size recruited more mosquitoes and consequently increased the swarm size in the two species, {A}n. coluzzii swarms flew higher and were stretched both vertically and horizontally, while {A}n. gambiae (s.s.) swarms were only stretched horizontally. {V}irgin females displayed a swarm-like behavior with similar characteristics to their conspecific males. {C}onclusions: {O}ur results provided experimental evidence that both {A}n. coluzzii and {A}n. gambiae (s.s.) males use ground visual markers to form and locate their swarm at species-specific locations. {M}oreover, the marker size differentially affected swarm characteristics in the two species. {O}ur results also showed that virgin females displayed a swarm-like behavior. {H}owever, these "swarms" could be due to the absence of males in our experimental conditions. {N}evertheless, the fact that females displayed these "swarms" with the same characteristics as their respective males provided evidence that visual markers are used by the two sexes to join mating spots. {A}ltogether, this suggests that visual markers and the way species and sexes use them could be key cues in species segregation, swarm location and recognition.},
  keywords = {{A}nopheles ; {M}ating ; {S}exual encounter ; {S}peciation ; {S}warming behavior ; {V}isual cues},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}arasites and {V}ectors},
  volume = {12},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {art. 589 [15 p.]},
  ISSN = {1756-3305},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.1186/s13071-019-3845-5},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077846},
}