How Mosquitoes Find a Mate

There’s an interesting article in LiveScience on how Mosquitoes find a mate. It included this tidbit, which I found fascinating.

Scientists have long known that male mosquitoes key in on the buzzing of females to help them find a partner. But a new study finds that female mosquitoes, despite their comparatively simple antennae, are among the best listeners in the insect world.

The research also revealed how the mosquito mating commences.

When two mosquitoes approach each other—typically moving along at about 1 mph—each alters the tone of its buzzing, which is created by the wings beating at up to 600 times each second.

If the tones converge, each knows the other is a potential mate. If the tones diverge dramatically, then they learn they’re chasing a same-sex relationship that’s not apt to produce any little pests.

It is likely, the researchers say, that different mosquito species (there are about 3,000 of them around the world) employ different flight tones in order to recognize viable mates.

So not only do the two sexes have opposite tones, but, if I read that last statement correctly, researchers think that even different species have tones that would allow mates to find their own species and avoid others.

This is somewhat akin to the Hawaiian Drosophila, which have elaborate and very precise mating dances, where if the males get it even slightly wrong, the female flies off and won’t mate.

Biologists refer to these behaviors as behavioral isolation mechanisms — behaviors which isolate similar species and keeps them from mating.

These are precisely the kinds of things that I find so interesting about the natural sciences. I dislike a mosquito buzzing in my ear as much as the next guy. But it’s pretty amazing to realize there’s a lot more going on with that buzz that just flight.

Update: I just noticed that PZ Myers over at Pharyngula put up an in depth explanation of this paper on mosquito “song.” Since that LiveScience article is so sparse, it’s well worth a read.