Autor(es): Dogan, EB; Ayres, JW; Rossignol, PA

Resumo: Using the mosquito Aedes aegypti in a novel olfactometer that measures movement towards and away from a stimulus, we could not confirm that 'deet' is a repellent of mosquitoes. In the absence of a host, deet was an attractant and in the presence of a host, it was an inhibitor of attraction. This inhibition occurred in the gaseous phase and was therefore not the result of the physical properties of deet. We determined that L-lactic acid, a component of human sweat that is an attractant to mosquitoes, is the target of this inhibition, implying that lactic acid may be a bottleneck in the behavioural cascade preceding blood-sucking.

Palavras-Chave: Edes aegypti; Deet; Lactic acid; Olfactometer; Attraction inhibition; Mosquito

Imprenta: Medical and Veterinary Entomology, v. 13, n. 1, p. 97-100, 1999

Identificador do objeto digital: 10.1046/j.1365-2915.1999.00145.x

Descritores: Aedes aegypti - Repellent

Data de publicação: 1999