RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Circadian regulation of light-evoked attraction/avoidance in day- vs. night-biting mosquitoes JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 627588 DO 10.1101/627588 A1 Baik, Lisa Soyeon A1 Nave, Ceazar A1 Au, David D. A1 Guda, Tom A1 Chevez, Joshua A. A1 Ray, Anandasankar A1 Holmes, Todd C. YR 2019 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/05/05/627588.abstract AB Mosquitoes pose widespread threats to humans and other animals as disease vectors. Day- vs. night-biting mosquitoes occupy distinct time-of-day niches and exhibit very different innate temporal attraction/avoidance behavioral responses to light, yet little is known about their circuit or molecular mechanisms. Day-biting diurnal mosquitoes Aedes aegypti are attracted to light during the day regardless of spectra. In contrast, night-biting nocturnal mosquitoes Anopheles coluzzii avoid short, but not long wavelength light. Attraction/avoidance behavioral responses to light in both species change with time-of-day and show distinct sex and circuit differences. The basis of diurnal versus nocturnal behavior is driven by clock timing, which cycle anti-phase between day-biting versus night-biting mosquito species. Disruption of the circadian molecular clock severely interferes with light-evoked attraction/avoidance behavior in mosquitoes. In summary, attraction/avoidance mosquito behaviors are circadian and light regulated, which may be applied towards species specific control of harmful mosquitoes.