Chem. Senses 25: 323-330,
2000
© Oxford University Press 2000
Contribution of Fatty Acids to Olfactory Host Finding of Female Aedes aegypti
Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
Correspondence to be sent to: Oliver J. Bosch, Institut für Zoologie, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany. e-mail: oliver.bosch{at}biologie.uni-regensburg.de
Single carbon to 18 carbon n-aliphatic carboxylic acids were tested for their attractive effects on female Aedes aegypti in a Y-tube olfactometer. Each acid was tested over a wide range of concentrations together with L-(+)-lactic acid, the indispensable synergist for other attractive components emitted from human hosts. The attractiveness of lactic acid was significantly augmented when combined with fatty acids of chain length C1C3, C5C8 and C13C18, respectively. The addition of the C9 and C11 acids reduced the attractive effect of lactic acid. According to experiments showing a further increase of attractiveness by adding a second fatty acid, we suggest two groups of attractive carboxylic acids: C1C3 and C5C8. The addition of a fatty acid from one group to a mixture of lactic acid and an acid from the other group augmented the attraction to the mixture. Together with ammonia, a previously demonstrated attractant for Aedes aegypti, lactic acid plus two fatty acids from the different groups formed the hitherto most attractive, artificially composed blend. Two of the carboxylic acids which were found to be attractive together with lactic acid were also tested alone and in combination with CO2, the major attractant in human breath. In both cases no attractive effect of the carboxylic acids could be observed.
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