Harmonic Convergence in the Love Songs of the Dengue Vector Mosquito
Lauren J. Cator,1*
Ben J. Arthur,2*
Laura C. Harrington,1
Ronald R. Hoy2
The familiar buzz of flying mosquitoes is an important mating
signal, with the fundamental frequency of the female's flight
tone signaling her presence. In the yellow fever and dengue
vector
Aedes aegypti, both sexes interact acoustically by shifting
their flight tones to match, resulting in a courtship duet.
Matching is made not at the fundamental frequency of 400 hertz
(female) or 600 hertz (male) but at a shared harmonic of 1200
hertz, which exceeds the previously known upper limit of hearing
in mosquitoes. Physiological recordings from Johnston's organ
(the mosquito's "ear") reveal sensitivity up to 2000 hertz,
consistent with our observed courtship behavior. These findings
revise widely accepted limits of acoustic behavior in mosquitoes.
2 Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rrh3{at}cornell.edu
