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Member Symposium

Blood Feeders: A New Frontier for Electropenetrography

An electropenetrography waveform library for the study of probing and ingestion behaviors in Culex tarsalis

Sunday, November 5, 2023
2:50 PM – 3:05 PM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 13
In-Person
Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are important vectors of multiple pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. Understanding their host seeking and probing behaviors are important for developing new strategies to control these insect pests and limit disease transmission. Probing behaviors are difficult to study because they typically occur within tissues where visual observation is not feasible. Electropenetrography has the capability to record electrical signals that occur during probing, giving researchers the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of these behaviors. Here, we used an AC-DC EPG with variable resistors to study Cx. tarsalis probing and blood ingestion behaviors on human hands and develop a waveform library. We observed waveforms that had previously been described in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as well as several new waveform types not previously observed in blood feeding insects. These data enhance our understanding of mosquito probing behaviors and will serve as a foundation for future studies on pathogen acquisition and transmission.