Comparison of the Attractiveness of the Human Palm and Other Stimuli to the Yellow-Fever Mosquito1

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Abstract
Attractiveness of the human palm to females of the Yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.), was compared with several stimuli in a large-cage dual-port olfactometer. The stimuli tested were heat (34°C + moisture + varying amounts of CO2 The role of CO2 was examined more closely. 1, 5, and 10 ml per minute of CO2 were used. The mosquitoes flying, landing, and probing on either port were counted each minute for 10 minutes. Flight activity was minimum when no CO2 was introduced into the cage. On CO2 introduction flying activity increased. However, it did not increase further when CO2 was increased from 5 to 10 ml per minute. More CO2 did not induce more probing. More mosquitoes did not go to the CO2 port when heat-moisture-CO2 combination was compared with heat-moisture-air combination, confirming the role of CO2 as an activator only. When the palm was compared with heat + moisture + CO2 the mosquitoes ignored the latter stimuli. This fact confirms that the attraction to the palm is due to the different nature of the stimuli emanating from it, and that it is not possible lo confuse A. aegypti with heat-moisture-CO2 combination 10 divert them from the vertebrate host.

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