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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Forced Salivation As a Method to Analyze Vector Competence of Mosquitoes
Published on: August 7, 2018
Mosquitoes as a model for understanding the neural basis of natural behaviors
Lukas Weiss1, Carolyn S McBride1
1Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Abstract:
Mosquito behaviors have been the subject of extensive research for over a century due to their role in the spread of human disease. However, these behaviors are also beginning to be appreciated as excellent models for neurobiological research in their own right. Many of the same behaviors and sensory abilities that help mosquitoes survive and reproduce alongside humans represent striking examples of generalizable phenomena of longstanding neurobiological interest. In this review, we highlight four prominent examples that promise new insight into (1) precise circadian tuning of sensory systems, (2) processing of complex natural odors, (3) multisensory integration, and (4) modulation of behavior by internal states.
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