WHAT IS FLASHING WINGBEAT FREQUENCY (FWF)?

Flashing wingbeat frequency (FWF) is light rapidly reflecting off the fly’s wing during flight and represents a visual cue to help flies recognize their species and potential mates. The use of FWF has observed in solitary flies (blow flies, fruit flies, flesh flies) and swarming flies (midge flies and mosquitos).

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CURRENT AND FUTURE WORK

FWF is a recently discovered communication pathway and there is a lot to learn! We are interested in exploring multimodal communication (combining movement and sound produced by flies with FWF to investigate synergistic affects) and interspecific communication (use of FWF by predator flies and parasites).

Finally, we are interested in application, making FWF more transportable and easy to use for pest management, e.g. incorporating the FWF for sterile insect technique, or management of vectors of pathogens that cause disease, e.g. mosquitos, in a variety of settings, from home to remote communities, from post disaster relief to combat conditions. Ultimately, reducing disease transition from flies.

RESEARCH REPORTING

*Represents students involved in dissemination of information.

Duffner, M.Q.* (presenter), A. Pasternak*, K. Johnson, and B.S. Brodie.  Flash-mobbing and polarized pickiness: exploring novel visual cues for the control of nuisance non-biting midges.  Entomological Society of America: Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology (MUVE) Undergraduate Research Symposium. St. Louis, MI, 17-10 November 2019

Brodie, B.S. OHIO researchers called upon to solve midge fly infestation in ohio waste water treatment plants. The Ohio University Forum.  August 26, 2018. https://www.ohio-forum.com/2018/08/ohio-researchers-called-upon-to-solve-midge-fly-infestation-in-ohio-waste-water-treatment-plants/ (Re-posted in Phys.org here.)

PARTICIPANTS

This project is funded in part through the Delaware County municipality.  Delaware county is located in the state of Ohio and is included is included in the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area.  Majority of our field work is conducted in this area: Alum Creek Water Reclamation Facility, Olentangy Environmental Control, and Lower Scotia Water Reclamation Facility.

Materials are provided in-kind from Tumaini (CRT) Controlled Release Technologies.  Tumaini are industry experts in the development, manufacturing  and distribution of mosquito control solutions for commercial / professional and consumer applications.