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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119186
Title: AN OLFACTOMETER EVALUATION OF CANDIDATE COMPOUNDS AS INHIBITORS OF AEDES AEGYPTI HOST-SEEKING BEHAVIOR

Author
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item Bernier, Ulrich
item Barnard, Donald
item Posey, Kenneth

Submitted to: American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2001
Publication Date: 2/25/2003
Citation: KLINE, D.L., BERNIER, U.R., BARNARD, D.R., POSEY, K.H. AN OLFACTOMETER EVALUATION OF CANDIDATE COMPOUNDS AS INHIBITORS OF AEDES AEGYPTI HOST-SEEKING BEHAVIOR. AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION. 2003. v.40(4).p.463-467.

Interpretive Summary: Mosquitoes transmit diseases, lower the quality of life, decrease property values and cause under utilization of recreational areas. Skin repellents used for personal protection often are the only way to prevent mosquito attacks. Since the continued use of deet, the most commonly used skin repellent, is threatened by various efficacy and safety issues, replacement trepellents and new personal protection technology is needed. Currently, effective spatial repellents are not available for personal protection. Scientists at the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Florida, conducted laboratory studies on the effectiveness of several chemical compounds for their possible use as spatial repellents. Data obtained in this study indicate that two candidate compounds merit further evaluation under field conditions against natural populations of mosquitoes. The expected outcome is that new personal protection technology and strategies will be developed which utilize effective spatial repellents.

Technical Abstract: Deet, dehydrolinalool and linalool were tested in a dual port olfactometer in the presence and absence of human odor to determine their effect on the host finding behavior of Aedes aegypti. In the absence of human odor, all 3 compounds caused some activation and orientation of mosquitoes toward the chemical source. Linalool appeared to be the most attractive of the 3 compounds. In the presence of human odor, all 3 compounds had an adverse effect on female mosquito host-finding behavior. The combination of linalool and dehydrolinalool resulted in the highest overall no response (not captured in port traps)(33.6 percent); most of these mosquitoes were not even activated to flight, i.e. they remained at rest on the back screen of the chamber. The lowest overall no response (7.3 percent) was achieved when an equal amount of human odor was placed in both ports. Deet used alone did not significantly increase this level of no response. Based on these results linalool and dehydrolinalool, alone and combined, show promise as inhibitors of mosquito host finding behavior.