DOI: 10.5061/dryad.547d7wmh3
title: Data for: Thermal Infrared Directs Host-seeking Behavior in Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes

description: Mosquito-borne diseases affect hundreds of millions of people annually and
 disproportionately impact the developing world. One mosquito species,
 Aedes (Ae.) aegypti, is a primary vector of viruses that cause dengue,
 yellow fever, and Zika. The attraction of Ae. aegypti females to humans
 requires integrating multiple cues, including CO2 from breath, organic
 odors from skin, and visual cues, all sensed at mid and long ranges, and
 other cues sensed at very close range. Here we identify a new cue that Ae.
 aegypti use as part of their sensory arsenal to find humans. We
 demonstrate that they sense the infrared radiation (IR) emanating from
 their targets and use this information in combination with other cues for
 highly effective mid-range navigation. Detection of thermal IR requires
 the heat-activated channel TRPA1, which is expressed in neurons at the tip
 of the antenna. Two opsins are co-expressed with TRPA1 in these neurons
 and promote the detection of lower IR intensities. We propose that radiant
 energy causes local heating at the end of the antenna, thereby activating
 temperature-sensitive receptors in thermosensory neurons. The realization
 that thermal IR is an outstanding mid-range directional cue expands our
 understanding as to how mosquitoes are exquisitely effective in locating
 hosts.
description: Recordings of mosquitoes in an arena that was custom fabricated
 by the UCSB Physics Machine Shop. Arena contained five panels of 1/2"
 acrylic (Cat. no. 8560K268, McMaster-CarrⓇ, Los Angeles, CA, USA) . Two 10
 cm x 10 cm cutouts were made in one panel with enough tolerance to hold
 the two Peltier plates (10cm x 10cm) securely ​​(TEC plate, model TCP-50,
 Advanced Thermoelectric, Nashua, NH, USA). The panels were assembled using
 stainless steel socket head screws (McMaster-Carr®, Los Angeles, CA, USA).
 An LED light bar was mounted to illuminate the wall that contained the
 Peltier devices (ASIN: B07CVCF8JF, YEEZEN, Shenzhen, China). 
 All but one of the interior faces of the arena panels were
 covered in white PVC adhesive (ConTactⓇ, Kittrich Corp., Pomona, CA, USA)
 paper to limit unwanted visual stimuli in the mosquito visual field and
 produce high contrast images (dark mosquito bodies vs. light background)
 for subsequent object tracking. The Peltier plates were also covered with
 white ConTactⓇ paper (emissivity is 0.92). Additionally, the Peltier
 devices housed in the arena wall were recessed from the interior face of
 the arena by 0.5 cm to provide an air gap when it covered (Extended Data
 Fig. 1b). Behind the panel that was left clear, we mounted a webcam
 (Logitech c920, Logitech, Newark, CA, USA) trained on the arena wall that
 housed the Peltier plates. Experiments were video recorded using the
 Logitech Webcam Software (v.2.51) at 10 FPS for 300 seconds. Mosquitoes
 were placed inside arena in 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm mosquito cages
 (BugDorm-1, #DP1000, MegaView Science Co, Ltd., Taiwan). To improve
 imaging quality, we replaced one mesh panel of the cage with a 1/16”
 thick, clear acrylic panel (Cat. no. 8560K171, McMaster-CarrⓇ, Los
 Angeles, CA, USA). This modification allowed us to achieve a sharper,
 higher contrast image which improved our tracking ability. 
description: # Data for: Thermal Infrared Directs Host-seeking Behavior in *Aedes
 Aegypti* Mosquitoes
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wm](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wmh3) This deposit contains video recordings used in the manuscript "Thermal infrared directs host-seeking behavior in *Aedes aegypti* mosquitoes." Each video has a unique ID, which can be matched to a Source Data file. Videos are in .mp4 format and contained in zip files and grouped by their ID prefix (e.g., IR_43 is contained in IR_vids.zip).  ## Analysis code MATLAB code for analyzing these videos can be found at the following link: * [https://github.com/Craig-Montell-Lab/Chandel_DeBeaubien_2023](https://github.com/Craig-Montell-Lab/Chandel_DeBeaubien_2023) ## Video guide Some files use abbreviations corresponding to different experiments that were performed: An: Anopheles  SI: silicon wafer  Ex: extended polyethylene film OW: one-way choice OW50: one-way choice with 50 ˚C plate IR: infrared radiation Below is a description of where the videos in each figure in the manuscript can be found according to their zip file.  The exact video IDs for each figure can be found in the Source Data. Each behavioral experiment performed for this paper has a unique ID (e.g., IR_42), which corresponds to the name of the video from which the data was gathered (IR_42.mp4). We have compiled Source Data files that were submitted to Nature that detail the raw data from each video for each figure. For example, the Source Data file for figure 2 is called "Source Data Figure 2.xlsx" and the file for figure 3 is called "Source Data Figure 3.xlsx" etc. Three videos are under 5 minutes in length and have been included in the .zip file "Under 5 min." These are IR 1878, SI 10, and IR 1882. **Figure 2** * Figure 2a: IR_vids.zip * Figure 2c: IR_vids.zip * Figure 2d: IR_vids.zip * Figure 2e: AN_vids.zip * Figure 2g: IR_vids.zip * Figure 2h: IR_vids.zip * Figure 2j: IR_vids.zip **Figure 3** * Figure 3d: IR_vids.zip * Figure 3e: IR_vids.zip * Figure 3F: IR_vids.zip **Extended Data Figure 2** * ED 2c: IR_vids.zip * ED 2f: EX_vids.zip **Extended Data Figure 3** * ED 3b: SI_vids.zip **Extended Data Figure 4** * ED 4: OW_vids.zip **Extended Data Figure 6** * ED 6b: IR_vids.zip * ED 6c: OW50_vids.zip * ED 6d: IR_vids.zip **Extended Data Figure 8** * ED 8a: IR_vids.zip