Supervision
M1 Intern | 2021
Effects of light and turbidity on the habituation of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae
Keywords behavior, non-associative learning, cognition, development, adaptation
From March 2021 to May 2021, I co-supervised Tristan Robineau, a Master 1 intern, at the Insect Biology Research Institute, Tours, France. The objective of his internship was to measure the effects of light and turbidity on the habituation learning of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. His internship was successfully defended.
Resume of our project
Luminosity and turbidity are two factors influencing visibility. In this study, we focused on the potential impact of luminosity and turbidity on sensory and cognitiveskills in Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. In order to do this, we applied a habituation protocol, in which a square of cardboard was presented at regular interval under a light, thus projecting its shadow (visual stimulus) on the larva. We individually trained several larvae reared under different luminosity and turbidity conditions; (1) larvae raised in light and clear water; (2) larvae raised in light and turbid water; (3) larvae raised in darkness and clear water; (4) larvae raised in darkness and turbid water. Larvae were trained in clear or turbid water. Statistical analyses showed that rearing conditions did not influence neither the level nor the dynamics of learning. Moreover, the physical conditions of the environment did not modify the sensory skills in the assayed larvae.