How Mosquitoes Use Distortion Products to Enhance Signal Detection

Distortion products are tones produced through the nonlinear response of a system simultaneously detecting two or more frequencies. These combination tones are ubiquitous to vertebrate auditory systems and are generally regarded as a byproduct of nonlinear signal amplification. It has previously been shown that several species of infectious-disease-carrying mosquitoes utilize these distortion products for detecting and locating potential mates. Using a generic numerical model for acoustic signal detection, we demonstrate that tuning a detector to these distortion products yields immense benefits on the frequency selectivity of the system. This enhanced frequency selectivity could be essential for male mosquitoes to be able to identify and pursue a particular female within a noisy swarm environment.