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Mosquito Larvae (Culex spp.) Startle Responses to Vibration Stimuli

Ellie R. Harrison, William J. Budenberg
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.18.431787
Ellie R. Harrison
aEllie Harrison, Zantiks Ltd
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  • For correspondence: eharrison03@hotmail.co.uk
William J. Budenberg
bWilliam Budenberg, Zantiks Ltd,
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  • For correspondence: bill@zantiks.com
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Abstract

We explored startle responses of Culex spp. larvae to varying frequencies and durations of vibrations, before investigating habituation (a behavioural learning phenomenon). The startle response consists of a rapid movement to permit escape from a potentially dangerous stimulus. We used the automated Zantiks MWP_vb unit to analyse larval startle responses through the built-in live video tracking. Set within the unit’s controlled environmental chamber, we recorded distance travelled by the larvae. These results were used to optimise the vibration startle response for use in habituation studies. Repeated vibrations appeared to reduce larvae startle responses, although further analysis is required to confirm habituation. This study not only provides an insight into the learning ability of mosquito larvae, but demonstrates the ease, replicability and control conferred by the automated unit. Furthermore, this method is applicable to many other organisms and shows potential for more sophisticated environmental effect testing, such as behavioural toxicology.

Competing Interest Statement

ERH joined Zantiks as a part time intern to carry out this research. WJB & ERH designed the study jointly. ERH carried out most of the experiments, all the data analysis and wrote the paper. WJB is the founder of Zantiks, and is such an interested party in the use of the Zantiks units in behaviour studies.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted February 18, 2021.
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Mosquito Larvae (Culex spp.) Startle Responses to Vibration Stimuli
Ellie R. Harrison, William J. Budenberg
bioRxiv 2021.02.18.431787; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.18.431787
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Mosquito Larvae (Culex spp.) Startle Responses to Vibration Stimuli
Ellie R. Harrison, William J. Budenberg
bioRxiv 2021.02.18.431787; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.18.431787

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