ACOUSTICS INTERFERENCE TO CHECK MOSQUITO GROWTH

    ACOUSTICS INTERFERENCE TO CHECK MOSQUITO GROWTH

WAQAR HUSSAIN

          A MOSQUITO WHINNY BUZZ IS ONE OF THE MOST IRRITATING NOISE TO HUMAN EARS BUT FOR MOSQUITO,IT IS A MELODIOUS LOVE SONG.A NEW RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON AEDES EGYPTI, A GENUS OF MOSQUITO RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES  DENGUE,YELLOW FEVER,CHIKUNGUNYA,ETC,DISCLOSED THAT WHEN MALE AND FEMALE MOSQUITOES MATE,THEY FIRST SYNCHRONIZE THE FREQUENCIES OF THEIR BEATING WINGS TO PRODUCE A HARMONIOUS TONE.THE MALE MOSQUITO BUZZ OR FLIGHT TONE IS ABOUT 600 HERTZ(Hz) WHEREAS FEMALE'S TONE IS NEAR 400 Hz .WHEN MALE WANTS TO COPULATE,IT BRINGS ITS TONE INTO PHASE WITH FEMALE'S TO CREATE A NEAR PERFECT DUET.THE TWO TONES INTERFERE CONSTRUCTIVELY TO PRODUCE WHAT MUSICIANS CALL AN "OVERTONE" ,A THIRD, FAINTER TONE OF 1200Hz.THIS SYNCHRONY OF BUZZES IS PREREQUISITE FOR COITUS.

         THIS RESEARCH SMASHED UP THE PREVIOUS BELIEF OF SCIENTISTS THAT AEDES MALE MOSQUITO COULD NOT HEAR FREQUENCY OF ABOUT 800 Hz WHILE FEMALE WERE THOUGHT TO BE COMPLETELY DEAF.THE RESEARCHERS WERE ASTONISHED TO FIND BOTH GENDERS OF MOSQUITOES ,CAPABLE OF HEARING EVEN LOW PITCHED OVERTONES. MOSQUITOES HAVE A PAIR OF LONG ,MANY SEGMENTED ANTENNAE.IN ALL MOSQUITO SPECIES,THE ANTENNA OF THE MALE IN COMPARISON TO FEMALES ARE NOTICEABLY BUSHIER AND PROVIDED WITH AUDITORY RECEPTORS TO DETECT THE CHARACTERISTIC WHINE OF THE FEMALE.

        FINDING MOSQUITOES’ SONIC MATCHING HABIT PRIOR TO COUPLING,SCIENTISTS STARTED PONDERING TO USE IT TO CONTROL THEIR GROWTH.NOW, THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO BREED  TRANSGENIC MALE THAT ARE "BETTER SINGERS"THESE MELLIFLUOUS MALE WOULD NEIGH ON,IRRESISTIBLE FOR FEMALE TO DENY AND WOULD MATE IN TRANCE OF EUPHONIOUS SONG."EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS"THE COITION WOULD YIELD OFFSPRING WHICH ARE EITHER IN VIABLE OR UNABLE TO TRANSMIT DENGUE VIRUS.

         IN AN OTHER ATTEMPT, SCIENTISTS ARE INVESTIGATING TO USE ACOUSTICS INTERFERENCE, WHICH THEY SAY WOULD INVOLVE”PLAYING AUDIO FREQUENCIES NEAR 1200 Hz, WOULD CONFUSE THEM, THUS, MATING WOULD BE AVERTED OR REDUCED.

         PROFESSOR HARRINGTON WHO IS WORKING ON SONIC MEDDLING TECHNIQUES, IS VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OUT COME OF THESE RESEARCHES AND SAYS:”IF WE CAN INTERRUPT MATING AND REPRODUCTION, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG TOOL FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL”.

         YET IN AN OTHER EFFORT, SCIENTISTS ARE FOCUSED TO PRODUCE STERILE MALE MOSQUITO BY GENETIC ENGINEERING, FOLLOWED BY THEIR RELEASE IN ATMOSPHERE TO PLAY A LOVE SONG AND MATE FRUITLESSLY WITH FEMALE.

      AT PRESENT, ACOUSTICS BAFFLING TECHNIQUES ARE IN EMBRYONIC STAGE BUT SCIENTISTS ARE SANGUINE TO MEET SUCCESS IN NEAR FUTURE.WE ALL KNOW:"ONE, WHO STRUGGLES, SUCCEEDS.