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Temperature responses of antennal receptors of the mosquito,Aedes aegypti

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Summary

  1. 1.

    A pair of thermoreceptor units was identified in the sensilla coeloconica at the tip of the antennae on the mosquito,Aedes aegypti.

  2. 2.

    One thermoreceptor was warm-sensitive and responded with a phasic-tonic increase in spike frequency to sudden increases in temperature. The second thermoreceptor was coldsensitive, responding with a phasic-tonic increase in spike activity to sudden decreases in temperature.

  3. 3.

    The mean tonic spike activity of both the cold and warm receptors increased with increasing temperature to a peak of 30 imp/sec at 26‡ C for the cold receptor and 35 imp/sec at 28.5‡ C for the warm receptor. The tonic activity declined as the temperature was increased further. The maximum phasic sensitivity was observed with small temperature changes (δ T = ± 0.2‡C). This was 136 imp/sec/‡C temperature drop in the cold receptor and 130 imp/ sec/‡ C rise in the warm receptor.

  4. 4.

    The importance of temperature in the host-seeking and “attack” behavior of the mosquito is discussed.

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Author notes

  1. Phillip G. Sokolove

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 21228, Catonsville, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurophysiology Program, Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California, USA

    Edward E. Davis

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

    Phillip G. Sokolove

Authors
  1. Edward E. Davis
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  2. Phillip G. Sokolove
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Additional information

We thank Mr. Paul Houghton for his help in reducing the data and other technical assistance. This investigation was supported by NIH research grant number AI 10954.

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Davis, E.E., Sokolove, P.G. Temperature responses of antennal receptors of the mosquito,Aedes aegypti . J. Comp. Physiol. 96, 223–236 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612696

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612696

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