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A Reliable Morphological Method to Assess the Age of Male Anopheles Gambiae

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dc.creator Huho, Bernadette J.
dc.creator Ng'habi, Kija R.
dc.creator Killeen, Gerry F.
dc.creator Nkwengulila, Gamba
dc.creator Knols, Bart G. J.
dc.creator Ferguson, Heather M.
dc.date 2016-04-12T13:07:50Z
dc.date 2016-04-12T13:07:50Z
dc.date 2006
dc.date.accessioned 2021-05-03T13:28:55Z
dc.date.available 2021-05-03T13:28:55Z
dc.identifier Huho, B.J., Ng'habi, K.R., Killeen, G.F., Nkwengulila, G., Knols, B.G. and Ferguson, H.M., 2006. A reliable morphological method to assess the age of male Anopheles gambiae. Malaria journal, 5(1), p.62.
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1487
dc.identifier 10.1186/1475-2875-5-62
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/47314
dc.description Release of genetically-modified (GM) or sterile male mosquitoes for malaria control is hampered by inability to assess the age and mating history of free-living male Anopheles. Age and mating-related changes in the reproductive system of male Anopheles gambiae were quantified and used to fit predictive statistical models. These models, based on numbers of spermatocysts, relative size of sperm reservoir and presence/absence of a clear area around the accessory gland, were evaluated using an independent sample of mosquitoes whose status was blinded during the experimen The number of spermatocysts in male testes decreased with age, and the relative size of their sperm reservoir increased. The presence of a clear area around accessory glands was also linked to age and mating status. A quantitative model was able to categorize males from the blind trial into age groups of young (≤ 4 days) and old (> 4 days) with an overall efficiency of 89%. Using the parameters of this model, a simple table was compiled that can be used to predict male age. In contrast, mating history could not be reliably assessed as virgins could not be distinguished from mated males. Simple assessment of a few morphological traits which are easily collected in the field allows accurate age-grading of male An. gambiae. This simple, yet robust, model enables evaluation of demographic patterns and mortality in wild and released males in populations targeted by GM or sterile male-based control programmes.
dc.language en
dc.publisher BioMed Central
dc.subject Genetically-modified
dc.subject Anopheles gambiae
dc.subject Sterile male mosquitoes for malaria
dc.subject Malaria
dc.title A Reliable Morphological Method to Assess the Age of Male Anopheles Gambiae
dc.type Journal Article, Peer Reviewed


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