Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Olfaction in Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus: flight orientation response to certain saturated carboxylic acids in human skin emanations

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The flight orientation response of nonblood-fed and hungry Aedes albopictus females was studied in a Y-tube olfactometer at 10−6 to 10−2 g odor plumes of saturated carboxylic acids (C1–C20), in which C2–C18 were the main constituents of human skin emanations. Thirteen acids viz C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, C8 C9, C10, C12, C14, C16, C18, and C20 showed attractance at odor plumes ranging from 10−5 to 10−3 g doses, while five acids viz C4, C7, C11, C15, and C19 showed repellence at 10−4 to 10−2 g to test mosquitoes. Tridecanoic acid (C13) showed attractance only at 10−4 g dose while higher doses caused repellence. Dose-dependent reversal of orientation behavior from attractance to repellence was observed at 10−2 g plumes of C5, C9, C10, C13, C17, C19, and C20 acids. The outcome of the study will help in the identification of odoriferous acids as potential attractants, repellents, or attraction inhibitors, which may find their application in the repellent formulations and odor-baited traps for surveillance and control of mosquitoes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acree FJ, Turner RB, Gouck HK, Beroza M, Smith N (1968) L-lactic acid: a mosquito attractant isolated from humans. Science 161:1346–1347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ali A, Cantrell CL, Bernier UR, Duke SO, Schneider JC, Agramonte NM, Khan I (2012) Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) biting deterrence: structure-activity relationship of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. J Med Entomol 49:1370–1378

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernier UR, Kline DL, Barnard DR, Schreck CE, Yost RA (2000) Analysis of human skin emanations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. 2. Identification of volatile compounds that are candidate attractants for the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti). Anal Chem 72:747–756

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernier UR, Kline DL, Posey KH, Booth MM, Yost RA, Barnard DR (2003) Synergistic attraction of Aedes aegypti (L.) to binary blends of L-lactic acid and acetone, dichloromethane, or dimethyl disulfide. J Med Entomol 40:653–656

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernier UR, Kline DL, Allan SA, Barnard DR (2007) Laboratory comparison of Aedes aegypti attraction to human odors and to synthetic human odor compounds and blends. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 23:288–293

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bosch OJ, Geier M, Boeckh J (2000) Contribution of fatty acids to olfactory host finding of female Aedes aegypti. Chem Senses 25:323–330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braks MAH, Takken W (1999) Incubated human sweat but not fresh sweat attracts the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. J Chem Ecol 25:663–672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braks MAH, Meijerink J, Takken W (2001) The response of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, to two components of human sweat, ammonia and L-lactic acid, in an olfactometer. Physiol Entomol 26:142–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cork A, Park KC (1996) Identification of electrophysiological-active compounds for the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, in human sweat extracts. Med Vet Entomol 10:269–276

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curran AM, Rabin SI, Prada PA, Furton FA (2005) Comparison of the volatile organic compounds present in human odor using SPME-GC/MS. J Chem Ecol 31:1607–1619

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eiras AE, Jepson PC (1991) Host location by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): a wind tunnel study of chemical cues. Bull Entomol Res 81:151–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fradin MS, Day JF (2002) Comparative efficacy of insect repellents against mosquito bites. N Engl J Med 347:13–18

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher M, Wysocki CJ, Leyden JJ, Spielman AI, Sun X, Preti G (2008) Analyses of volatile organic compounds from human skin. Br J Dermatol 159:780–791

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geier M, Boeckh J (1999) A new Y-tube olfactometer for mosquitoes to measure the attractiveness of host odours. Entomol Exp Appl 92:9–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geier M, Sass H, Boeckh J (1996) A search for components in human body odour that attracts females of Aedes aegypti. In: Bock GR, Cardew G (eds) Olfaction in mosquito-host interaction. Wiley: Ciba Foundation Symposium, Chichester, p 132–148

  • Hao H, Sun J, Dai J (2012) Preliminary analysis of several attractants and spatial repellents for the mosquito, Aedes albopictus using an olfactometer. J Insect Sci 12:76

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hochedez P, Jaureguiberry S, Debruyne M, Bossi P, Hausfater P, Brucker G, Bricaire F, Caumes W (2006) Chikungunya infection in travellers. Emerg Infect Dis 12:1565–1567

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kline DL, Bernier UR, Posey KH, Barnard DR (2003) Olfactometric evaluation of spatial repellents for Aedes aegypti. J Med Entomol 40:463–467

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Logan JG, Birkett MA, Clark SJ, Powers S, Seal NJ, Wadhams LJ, Mordue AJ, Pickett JA (2008) Identification of human-derived volatile chemicals that interfere with attraction of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. J Chem Ecol 34:308–322

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Penn DJ, Oberzaucher E, Grammer K, Fischer G, Soini HA, Wiesler D, Novotny MV, Dixon SJ, Xu Y, Brereton RG (2007) Individual and gender fingerprints in human body odour. J R Soc Interface 4:331–340

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Puri SN (2003) Studies on antennal sensillary system in mosquito vectors and their olfactory responses to some chemical components of human skin emanations. PhD Thesis, Jiwaji University

  • Puri SN, Mendki MJ, Sukumaran D, Ganesan K, Prakash S, Sekhar K (2006) Electroantennogram and behavioral responses of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) females to chemicals found in human skin emanations. J Med Entomol 43:207–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu YT, Smallegange RC, Hoppe S, van Loon JJA, Bakker EJ, Takken W (2004) Behavioural and electrophysiological responses of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae)to human skin emanations. Med Vet Entomol 18:429–438

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schreck CE, Smith N, Carlson DA, Price GD, Haile D, Godwin DR (1981) A material isolated from human hands that attracts female mosquitoes. J Chem Ecol 2:429–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Seenivasagan T, Vijayaraghavan R (2010) Oviposition pheromones in haematophagous insects. In: Gerald L (ed) Vitamins and hormones. Vol 83. Academic Press, p 597–630

  • Seenivasagan T, Sharma KR, Sekhar K, Ganesan K, Prakash S, Vijayaraghavan R (2009a) Electroantennogram, flight orientation, and oviposition responses of Aedes aegypti to the oviposition pheromone n-heneicosane. Parasitol Res 104:827–833

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seenivasagan T, Sharma KR, Shrivastava A, Parashar BD, Pant SC, Prakash S (2009b) Surface morphology and morphometric analysis of sensilla of Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse): an SEM investigation. J Vector Borne Dis 46:125–135

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seenivasagan T, Sharma KR, Ganesan K, Prakash S (2010) Electrophysiological, flight orientation and oviposition responses of three species of mosquito vectors to hexadecyl pentanoate: residual oviposition repellent activity. J Med Entomol 47:329–337

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seenivasagan T, Sharma KR, Prakash S (2012) Electroantennogram, flight orientation and oviposition responses of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti to a fatty acid ester-propyl octadecanoate. Acta Trop 124:54–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seenivasagan T, Guha L, Iqbal ST (2013) Behavioral and electrophysiological responses of Culex quinquefasciatus to certain fatty acid esters. Acta Trop 128:606–612

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma KR, Seenivasagan T, Rao AN, Ganesan K, Agarwal OP, Malhotra RC, Prakash S (2008) Oviposition responses of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to certain fatty acid esters. Parasitol Res 103:1065–1073

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smallegange RC, Qiu YT, van Loon JJA, Takken W (2005) Synergism between ammonia, lactic acid and carboxylic acids as kairomones in the host-seeking behavior of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae). Chem Senses 30:145–152

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smallegange RC, Qiu YT, Kiss GB, van Loon JJA, Takken W (2009) The effect of aliphatic carboxylic acids on olfaction-based host-seeking of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae). J Chem Ecol 35:933–943

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Mo J, Zhang S (2006) Laboratory and field evaluations of potential human host odors for Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae). J Agric Urban Entomol 23:57–64

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work received financial grants through the Project-201 (S&T) of Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior. The authors are thankful to Director, for his keen interest and encouragement. We thank all the members of the Vector Management Division for the help in maintenance of the mosquito culture. Lopamudra expresses her gratitude to the Defence Research & Development Organisation, New Delhi, for the Junior Research Fellowship provided during the course of work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior, 474 002, MP, India

    T. Seenivasagan, Lopamudra Guha, B. D. Parashar & D. Sukumaran

  2. School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, 474011, MP, India

    O. P. Agrawal

Authors
  1. T. Seenivasagan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lopamudra Guha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. D. Parashar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. P. Agrawal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. D. Sukumaran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Seenivasagan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seenivasagan, T., Guha, L., Parashar, B.D. et al. Olfaction in Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus: flight orientation response to certain saturated carboxylic acids in human skin emanations. Parasitol Res 113, 1927–1932 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3840-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3840-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation