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The Effect of Sucrose Concentration on Olfactory-Based Associative Learning in Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

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Abstract

A classical conditioning approach was used to examine the ability of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) to associate odor with a sugar-meal of varying quality. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of different sucrose concentrations (5 %, 10 %, or 50 %) on positive response to conditioning and to examine sucrose concentration preference following exposure to a 10 % solution. Mosquitoes conditioned in conjunction with all three sucrose concentrations showed evidence of learning; including the concentration of the conditioning stimulus, and the sex of the mosquito. Using colored solutions to determine feeding patterns of experienced mosquitoes indicated male mosquitoes showed no preference but females showed a preference for 10 % over 5 % sucrose but not between 10 % and 50 % sucrose solutions.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Sandy Allan and Erin Vrzal of the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL, USA for providing us with mosquitoes, Thoris Greene and Glen Rains of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia, Tifton Campus, GA, USA for their technical assistance, Roberto Gorena of the Mosquito Control Division of the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, Houston, TX, USA for statistical advice and useful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. We also thank Mark Johnsen for his useful discussions and comments, which greatly improved this manuscript. The James Gus Foyle Memorial Scholarship from the Texas Mosquito Control Association and the Regents Fellowship from Texas A&M University provided funding support. This study was conducted in partial fulfillment of a doctoral degree to M. R. S.

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Author notes

  1. M. R. Sanford

    Present address: Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, One Shields Ave, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    M. R. Sanford, J. K. Olson & J. K. Tomberlin

  2. Crop Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 2747 Davis Road, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA

    W. J. Lewis

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  1. M. R. Sanford
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  2. J. K. Olson
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  4. J. K. Tomberlin
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Correspondence to M. R. Sanford.

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Sanford, M.R., Olson, J.K., Lewis, W.J. et al. The Effect of Sucrose Concentration on Olfactory-Based Associative Learning in Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae). J Insect Behav 26, 494–513 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9368-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9368-y

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