ARS | Publication request: Laboratory studies of selected ketones, sulfides, and chloroalkanes on the host-seeking behavior of Aedes aegypti.

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 11, 2006
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Synthetic attractant blends formulated from L-lactic acid and several synergists elicit significant attraction of Aedes aegypti (L.) and An. albimanus (Weidemann) in olfactometer bioassays using a triple-cage dual-port olfactometer. The synergists in these blends are commonly acetone and/or dimethyl disulfide, or dichloromethane. Before these blends were discovered, it was noted that certain compounds or combinations of compounds resulted in depressed levels attraction through inhibition of the host-seeking ability of mosquitoes. In an effort to further explore this phenomenon, we have examined numerous ketones, sulfides, and chloroalkanes that are related to these synergists. These studies indicate that ketones in the C7-C12 range do inhibit attraction of mosquitoes. This effect was not observed for the tested sulfides and chloroalkanes. Thus, ketones also seem to exhibit this phenomenon, as has been reported for carboxylic acids of approximately the same carbon range.