Male mosquitoes beat their wings faster when swarming at sunset to better detect females and increase their chance of reproducing, finds a novel study.

Published in Science Advances, the findings provide a vital new insight into how mosquitoes, driven by their internal circadian clock, combine changes in wing beats with their acute auditory senses to successfully mate. Faster wing beats produces a different flight tone (sound), allowing male mosquitoes to better detect the flight tones of females.

Researchers say that understanding the intricacies of the mosquitoes’ mating game could help curb the spread of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and the Zika virus.

Lead author Professor Joerg Albert (UCL Ear Institute) said: «Mosquitoes are exquisitely auditory animals; without their sense of hearing they could not reproduce.

«Within busy swarms males need to locate females during mid-flight by detecting the females’ faint flight tones. But given that these flight tones are nearly inaudible for the males, how does their hearing work?

«Understanding this fascinating mating system could help limit the numbers of offspring, which is of crucial importance in the fight against mosquito borne diseases.»

For the study, researchers at UCL Ear Institute recorded the flight tones (=wing beats) of free-flying malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, in swarms of 100 males or 100 females in special incubators with highly sensitive microphones.

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