title: Volatile semiochemical-conditioned attraction of the male yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, to human hosts.
abstract: We investigated the olfactory responses of male mosquitoes to kairomones of vertebrate hosts in a dual-port olfactometer. The behavioral responses of unmated and mated male and female mosquitoes from one to ten days old to human odors were compared to the odors of different human hosts. To evaluate the relationship between the age of male mosquitoes and their responses, we performed experiments with males at different ages. Unmated Ae. aegypti males, one to two days old, did not fly upwind to human odor, whereas between three and ten days old they exhibited increased flight activity. The results showed that unmated and mated females were attracted by human odor, but those mated were more attracted by human odor than when unmated. Mated males were, in general, attracted by human odor, while the unmated males were not attracted but showed increased flight activity in the presence of human odor, suggesting swarming behavior. Further studies should be carried out in order to determine the role of human odors on male Ae. aegypti behavior.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química de Insetos Vetores, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 31270-901. kellypaixaoufmg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: da Silva Paixão
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química de Insetos Vetores, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 31270-901.
authors.forename: Iuri
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Castro Pereira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química de Insetos Vetores, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 31270-901.
authors.forename: Lucilene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopes Alves Bottini
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química de Insetos Vetores, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 31270-901.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Eduardo Eiras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D064367:Olfactometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010675:Pheromones; D012737:Sex Factors; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones
keywords: Aedes aegypti; human attraction; kairomone.; males