How to translate text using browser tools
1 July 2023 Swarming and mate selection in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)
Jacques Derek Charlwood
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Treating both male and female Anopheles gambiae as if they are “boids” (a computer program that mimics flocking in birds) explains much of the swarming and mating behavior in this important group of malaria vectors. It is suggested that species specific swarm sites act as the mate recognition system in anophelines and it is proposed that virgin females respond to the swarm site per se rather than the swarm itself. Given the high operational sex ratio and the inability of any male to dominate all females within the swarm, it is considered that chance, rather than sexual selection, is the most important determinant of mating.The male being in the swarm may be a sufficiently strong signal to the female of his fitness, so that more elaborate sexual selection is unnecessary.The possibility of alternative mechanisms for mating may also exist but need to be investigated further. Given the importance of swarms as the isolating mechanism between species, emphasis should be placed on determining the characteristics of swarm sites and markers between them.

Jacques Derek Charlwood "Swarming and mate selection in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)," Journal of Medical Entomology 60(5), 857-864, (1 July 2023). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjad064
Received: 29 November 2022; Accepted: 14 June 2023; Published: 1 July 2023
JOURNAL ARTICLE
8 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
Anopheles gambiae
boids
mating
operational sex ratio
swarming
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top