B Positive Pest Management

Study Shows That Mosquito Brains Record Human Odor Through Sweat in Order for Them To Find Humans 🦟🩸

🦟Some mosquito species specialize in biting humans, and these tiny blood-suckers excel at tracking us down. The question is, how do mosquitoes hone in on their victims with such precision?
🦟According to new research, a specific olfactory receptor in their antennae serves as a human detector, responding to smelly chemicals in our sweat.
🦟The team concluded that two chemicals, decanal and undecanal, are enriched in human odor.
🦟Mosquito brains have 60 nerve centers called glomeruli (singular: glomerulus). The team had hypothesized that many—maybe even most—would be involved in helping these human-dependent mosquitos find their favorite food.

Read more via https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04675-4