%0 Journal Article
%T Chemical Cues for Malaria Vectors Oviposition Site Selection: Challenges and Opportunities
%A Yousif E. Himeidan
%A Emmanuel A. Temu
%A El Amin El Rayah
%A Stephen Munga
%A Eliningaya J. Kweka
%J Journal of Insects
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/685182
%X The attractiveness of oviposition site for malaria vector mosquitoes is dependent upon a number of physical and chemical factors. Many aspects of mosquito behavior, including host location and oviposition, are mediated by volatile semiochemicals. It is anticipated that selection of oviposition site by semio-chemicals in the form of attractants or stimulants can be used in oviposition traps to monitor or possibly in combination with insecticides to control gravid mosquito populations for mass trapping. So far, volatile compounds identified as oviposition attractants for mosquitoes include phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 4-ethyl phenol, indole, skatole, and p-cresol from hay infusions; 3-carene, ¦Á-terpinene, ¦Á-copaene, ¦Á-cedrene, and d-cadinene released by copepods; alcohol and terpenoids including p-cresol from plants; ethyl acetate and hydrocarbon substances, probably released by filamentous algae; 3-methyl-1-butanol identified from bacteria. Research priorities should be directed at identifying more oviposition attractants to determine the properties of these semio-chemicals for possible use in designing control tools. This would aim at luring females to lethal traps or stimulants to increase their exposure to insecticide-impregnated substrates. 1. Background Malaria is one of the most significant and debilitating insect-transmitted human diseases and has infected humans for over thousand years and may have been a human pathogen for the entire history of mankind [1]. Today, malaria causes about 225 million cases of fever and approximately 600,000 deaths annually more specifically in children under age of 5 years [2]. This represents at least one death (child) every 39 seconds and 85¨C90% of the deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa [2]. Mosquitoes spend the first part of their lifecycle in aquatic habitats [3]. The choice of an appropriate oviposition sites has significant impact on the fitness of progeny, distribution of larvae, population dynamics, and the overall maternal reproductive fitness and success [4, 5]. Oviposition process requires complex integration of physical and chemical cues by gravid mosquitoes. Long-range cues, probably involving vision, allow mosquitoes to identify different habitats and oviposition site characteristics. As mosquitoes approach an oviposition site other cues such as phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 4-ethyl phenol, indole, skatole, and p-cresol from hay infusions; 3-carene, ¦Á-terpinene, ¦Á-copaene, ¦Á-cedrene, and d-cadinene become important. Once oviposition site is identified, short-range cues become increasingly important. Short-range
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/insects/2013/685182/