Academic Journal
The complex swarming dynamics of malaria mosquitoes emerge from simple minimally-interactive behavioral rules.
| Τίτλος: | The complex swarming dynamics of malaria mosquitoes emerge from simple minimally-interactive behavioral rules. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Cribellier A; Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands., Poda BS; Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.; Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso., Dabiré RK; Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso., Diabaté A; Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso., Roux O; MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France., Muijres FT; Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. |
| Πηγή: | PLoS computational biology [PLoS Comput Biol] 2026 Aug 26; Vol. 22 (8), pp. e1014685. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Aug 26 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101238922 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1553-7358 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1553734X NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS Comput Biol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science, [2005]- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Anopheles*/physiology , Malaria*/transmission , Behavior, Animal*/physiology , Mosquito Vectors*/physiology , Models, Biological*, Flight, Animal/physiology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation |
| Περίληψη: | Swarming is a widespread collective behavior in animals, often thought to emerge from complex interactions among individuals. Here, we show that mating swarms of malaria mosquitoes can emerge from simple behavioral rules with minimal interaction between individuals. We analyzed two published experimental datasets with three-dimensional flight tracks of Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes swarming in the lab under simulated sunset conditions and above a visual marker. We found that individuals alternate between straight flight and rapid turning maneuvers known as saccades. These saccades are triggered at the edge of the swarm, and their directions are biased along the sunset direction. This behavior was found consistent between both laboratory datasets, including swarming of solitary individuals; this indicates that inter‑individual interactions may play a limited role within the small-to-medium sized swarms that we studied. We developed a simple agent-based model incorporating three behavioral rules: attraction to the swarm center, alignment normal to the sunset horizon, both driven by environmental cues, and repulsion through short-range collision avoidance. This parsimonious model reproduced key features of the observed laboratory mosquito swarms, including looping flight paths, central density peaks, and directional alignment. Even in the absence of direct inter‑individual interactions, the model generated realistic emergent swarm dynamics, suggesting that social coordination is not required for swarm emergence. Although our lab-based findings remain to be confirmed across more naturalistic conditions, they suggest that the most parsimonious hypothesis behind male mosquito swarming is that it is primarily guided by environmental perception rather than social interaction. This minimal framework offers a new perspective on insect swarming and may apply broadly to the many other insect species that form mating swarms. Understanding the behavioral rules of mosquito swarming could inform strategies for vector control and improve the effectiveness of interventions targeting mosquito reproduction. (Copyright: © 2026 Cribellier et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.) |
| Competing Interests: | The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. |
| References: | Parasit Vectors. 2019 Dec 16;12(1):589. (PMID: 31842944) Sci Rep. 2014 Apr 23;4:4766. (PMID: 24755944) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 29;107(26):11865-70. (PMID: 20547832) Nature. 2005 Feb 3;433(7025):513-6. (PMID: 15690039) R Soc Open Sci. 2018 Aug 8;5(8):180246. (PMID: 30225014) Acta Trop. 2014 Apr;132 Suppl:S42-52. (PMID: 24370676) Sci Rep. 2023 May 30;13(1):8745. (PMID: 37253765) PLoS Comput Biol. 2022 Jan 10;18(1):e1009772. (PMID: 35007287) Curr Biol. 2024 Mar 25;34(6):1194-1205.e7. (PMID: 38367617) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 15;108(46):18726-31. (PMID: 22065759) J Exp Biol. 2022 Mar 1;225(5):. (PMID: 35132997) Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2010 Apr;10(3):295-311. (PMID: 19725763) Sci Rep. 2014 Sep 12;4:6318. (PMID: 25212874) Science. 2020 May 8;368(6491):634-637. (PMID: 32381721) Phys Rev E. 2022 Mar;105(3-1):034601. (PMID: 35428071) J Med Entomol. 2023 Nov 14;60(6):1278-1287. (PMID: 37738317) Science. 2006 Jun 2;312(5778):1402-6. (PMID: 16741126) Acta Trop. 2014 Apr;132 Suppl:S53-63. (PMID: 24113221) J Med Entomol. 2013 May;50(3):552-9. (PMID: 23802449) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Apr 10;378(1874):20220066. (PMID: 36802778) iScience. 2024 Oct 11;27(11):111164. (PMID: 39524359) Genetica. 2011 Jan;139(1):33-9. (PMID: 20821345) Science. 2025 Feb 28;387(6737):995-1000. (PMID: 40014712) J Med Entomol. 2022 Jan 12;59(1):56-66. (PMID: 34617121) Interface Focus. 2012 Dec 6;2(6):726-37. (PMID: 24312726) Trends Parasitol. 2003 Aug;19(8):349-55. (PMID: 12901936) HFSP J. 2008 Aug;2(4):205-19. (PMID: 19404431) Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 9;:. (PMID: 42426113) Biol Lett. 2011 Oct 23;7(5):692-4. (PMID: 21525051) J R Soc Interface. 2019 Jan 31;16(150):20180739. (PMID: 30958145) Curr Biol. 2014 Sep 22;24(18):R828-R830. (PMID: 25247351) Interface Focus. 2012 Dec 6;2(6):693-707. (PMID: 24312723) J R Soc Interface. 2022 Aug;19(193):20220285. (PMID: 36000227) Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2017 Apr;40(4):46. (PMID: 28417322) J Exp Biol. 2011 Oct 15;214(Pt 20):3480-94. (PMID: 21957112) J Med Entomol. 2009 Mar;46(2):227-35. (PMID: 19351073) J R Soc Interface. 2022 Aug;19(193):20220258. (PMID: 36043287) Trends Biotechnol. 2023 Feb;41(2):154-164. (PMID: 35868886) J Med Entomol. 2023 Sep 12;60(5):857-864. (PMID: 37392071) Sci Rep. 2013;3:1073. (PMID: 23323215) PLoS Comput Biol. 2026 Aug 26;22(8):e1014685. (PMID: 42647567) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2018 May 19;373(1746):. (PMID: 29581389) J R Soc Interface. 2012 Oct 7;9(75):2624-38. (PMID: 22628212) J Exp Biol. 2015 Mar;218(Pt 6):864-75. (PMID: 25657212) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 15;108(46):18720-5. (PMID: 21795604) PLoS Comput Biol. 2014 Jul 24;10(7):e1003697. (PMID: 25057853) Curr Biol. 2014 Feb 3;24(3):274-86. (PMID: 24440395) Curr Biol. 2024 Sep 23;34(18):4091-4103.e4. (PMID: 39216484) Parasit Vectors. 2025 Nov 27;18(1):512. (PMID: 41310880) Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2020 Jun;39:77-83. (PMID: 32339930) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006 Jan 29;361(1465):5-22. (PMID: 16553306) Acta Trop. 2014 Apr;132 Suppl:S80-5. (PMID: 23850507) Curr Biol. 2009 Mar 24;19(6):485-91. (PMID: 19269180) Malar J. 2019 Jan 29;18(1):29. (PMID: 30696441) |
| Grant Information: | Human Frontier Science Program; Agence National de la Recherche; Netherlands NWO_ Dutch Research Council; Sectorplan Biology; Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW); Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Wageningen Graduate School of Wageningen University |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260826 Date Completed: 20260831 Latest Revision: 20260916 |
| Update Code: | 20260916 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13529247 |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014685 |
| PMID: | 42647567 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
καταχωρήστε σχόλιο πρώτοι!