The scientists sampled flower scents and other odors with a sensitive mass spectrometer, and then used a wind tunnel to determine how different combinations of smells affected a moth’s ability to find flowers. They found that the moths did far better in rural environments than in urban and suburban ones.
Link to New York Times articleScientists discover how the mosquito brain integrates diverse sensory cues to locate a host to bite
For female mosquitoes, finding their next meal is all about smelling and seeing.
Link to UW News articleSwatting May Teach Mosquitoes to Avoid Your Scent
Disease-carrying mosquitoes can learn to associate near-death experiences with scent and will stay away after an attempted swat.
Link to National Geographic articleAre you a mosquito magnet? It’s because of how you smell
Some people are magnets for mosquitoes, emitting a tantalizing combination of chemicals that invites the pesky insects to dine on them.
Link to Washington Post articleMosquitoes are drawn to flowers as much as people — and now scientists know why
Without their keen sense of smell, mosquitoes wouldn’t get very far. They rely on this sense to find a host to bite and spots to lay eggs.
Link to UW News articleWhat If You Could Become Invisible to Mosquitoes?
Using Crispr, scientists have taken the first step toward creating a mosquito that is blind to human hosts.
Link to New York Times articleMosquitoes See Red
New research shows that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are attracted to specific colors, including red.
Link to Scientific American articleLink to National Eye Institute article