What senses do they use to achieve the finding of their specimen? Do different types of mosquitos use different types of senses?
2007-09-20 13:41:11 · 2 answers · asked by penguin 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Mosquitos have one of the most well developed olfactory systems in the animal kingdom. They have a wide variety of oderant receptors that allow them to not only find an animal, but to compare the relative concentrations of chemical aromas coming off an animal and identify what kind of animal it is (many mosquitoes prey on only one or a few different organisms). Heat plays only a very limited role, if any, in prey location. Interestingly, scientists are feverishly working on finding specific scent molecules that will attract mosquitoes so that they can purify them and use them to lure mosquitoes away from people - in this way it is thought that diseases such as malaria and Dengue fever can be reduced.
If you are interested, a professor here at Vanderbilt University is doing some amazing work researching mosquito olfaction. His website has some cool data and breathtaking micrographs of mosquito "noses." I highly recommend you take a look!
Dr Larry Zwiebel's Lab Website:
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/zwiebel/
2007-09-20 15:21:27 · answer #1 · answered by BLLYRCKS 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This site says carbon dioxide in the person's breath, folic acid in the person, and heat all attract mosquitoes to people.
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/mosfaq.htm#q4
2007-09-20 13:50:23 · answer #2 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋