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Gustatory receptor neuron responds to DEET and other insect repellents in the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Naturwissenschaften volume 100, pages 269–273 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Three gustatory receptor neurons were characterized for contact chemoreceptive sensilla on the labella of female yellow-fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti. The neuron with the smallest amplitude spike responded to the feeding deterrent, quinine, as well as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide and other insect repellents. Two other neurons with differing spikes responded to salt (NaCl) and sucrose. This is the first report of a gustatory receptor neuron specific for insect repellents in mosquitoes and may provide a tool for screening chemicals to discover novel or improved feeding deterrents and repellents for use in the management of arthropod disease vectors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Daniel Strickman, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD, USA and Dr. Richard G. Vogt, University of South Carolina for reviewing the manuscript. This work was supported in part by a grant to JCD from the Deployed War Fighter Protection Research Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Plant Sciences Institute, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Jillian L. Sanford & Joseph C. Dickens

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA

    Jillian L. Sanford & Vonnie D. C. Shields

Authors
  1. Jillian L. Sanford
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  2. Vonnie D. C. Shields
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  3. Joseph C. Dickens
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Correspondence to Joseph C. Dickens.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Sanford, J.L., Shields, V.D.C. & Dickens, J.C. Gustatory receptor neuron responds to DEET and other insect repellents in the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti . Naturwissenschaften 100, 269–273 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1021-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1021-x

Keywords

  • Mosquito
  • Insect repellent
  • Feeding deterrent
  • DEET
  • Aedes aegypti
  • Gustatory receptor neuron