The long-term goal is to develop novel integrated vector management strategies for African malaria vectors based on the understanding of their behavioral and chemical ecology. There are 3 specific aims: 1) to identify the semiochemicals influencing the major life-history of African malaria mosquitoes. This will involve studies to identify semiochemicals that affect mating behavior (contact and sex pheromones), host-seeking behavior (kairomones), oviposition behavior (oviposition attractants), and sugar-feeding behavior (floral volatiles), 2) to utilize the chemicals identified to develop novel tools to interrupt host-vector contact (sex and behavior-specific catching devices such as ovitraps, host odor-baited traps, and flow odor-baited traps), and 3) to assess the potential of such tools both for monitoring populations of malaria vectors and to for reducing man-vector contact. The research as four stages: 1) semiochemicals mediating specific behaviors will be collected (on adsorbents and/or through head-space analyses) and identified using standard technologies (GC, GC-MS, HPLC); 2) their behavioral activity will be evaluated in bioassays (olfactometers, windtunnels) and at electrophysiologicals level (EAG, GC-EAG); 3) candidate compounds will then be tested under semi-field conditions using ICIPE's unique 'greenhouse' facilities in which behavioral responses of laboratory-reared mosquitoes of known age and physiological status can be studied under ambient conditions, and 4) promising compounds will be incorporated in traps and field-tested. The outcome of this research will include better mosquito traps for monitoring populations of vectors, and tools such as odor-baited traps that could be used at the community level to reduce mosquito-biting and associated malaria parasite transmission.
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