3pAB10. Analysis of mosquito wing beat sound.

Session: Wednesday Afternoon, December 4

Time: 4:40


Author: Richard H. Campbell
Location: ECE Dept., Worcester Polytechnic Inst., 100 Institute Rd., Worcester, MA 01609
Author: Samuel K. Martin
Location: Walter Reed Army Inst. of Res., Washington, DC 20307
Author: Imogene Schneider
Location: Walter Reed Army Inst. of Res., Washington, DC 20307
Author: William R. Michalson
Location: Worcester Polytechnic Inst., 100 Institute Rd., Worcester, MA 01609

Abstract:

Male mosquitos locate their appropriate mating partners by the detection of species-specific wing beat sounds emitted by their females in flight. The wing beat sounds of five military-relevant infectious disease-vector mosquito species---A. freeborni, A. stephensi, A. albimanus, A. gambi, and Ae. aegypti---were recorded and analyzed for amplitude and spectral variation during flight. The post-processing of the recordings resulted in audio files of approximately 1 s of flight suitable for reproduction using a sampling synthesizer and, additionally, matrices of amplitude and frequency data versus time for the fundamental and any useful higher-order harmonics. The accurate cataloging of these unique wing beat sounds can be used effectively in the design of improved sound traps and automatic electronic species identification devices. [Work supported by a Walter Reed Army Institute of Research ILIR award.]


ASA 132nd meeting - Hawaii, December 1996