The effect of wind speed on the flight responses of tsetse flies to CO2: a wind-tunnel study |
| |
Authors: | QUENTIN PAYNTER JOHN BRADY |
| |
Affiliation: | Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London |
| |
Abstract: | Abstract. Female Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood were video-recorded in a wind-tunnel as they entered, in cross-wind flight, a broad plume of CO2 (a component of host odour). At a wind speed that corresponds with peak catches in the field (c. 0.6 ms-1) odour produced both significant upwind turning responses (in-flight anemotaxis) and kinetic responses (reduced flight speed and increased sinuosity (m-1). At a wind speed of c. 0.2 ms-1 flies displayed anemotactic, but not kinetic, responses to odour. At very low wind speeds (0.1ms-1) neither upwind turning responses nor kinetic responses to odour were detected. The results are discussed with regard to current theory of host-location by tsetse. |
| |
Keywords: | Glossina tsetse fly anemotaxis klinokinesis edge detection chemotaxis flight orientation host-finding odour plume behaviour |
|