A new study from Virginia Tech reveals mosquitoes remember a host’s smell. However, these bloodsuckers will steer clear of a host associated with a life-threatening experience.
Mosquitoes Have Preferences
Some people are more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes, and researchers agree with this common belief. According to the study published in Current Biology on Jan. 25, mosquitoes remember a host’s smell thanks to dopamine. Using their memories, mosquitoes develop a preference for a particular set of scents. Hence, some people are more susceptible to mosquito bites.
How mosquitoes develop preferences is not the only significant finding in the study.
As reported in Science Daily, Chloe Lahondere, a research assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Biochemistry, and Clement Vinauger, an assistant professor of biochemistry in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, found that mosquitoes are capable of aversive learning. The researchers used female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to prove that bloodsuckers associate smell with unpleasant experiences.
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