Mosquitoes can probably distinguish between tastes—some of which affect the insectsʼ appetite and biological processes. Mosquitoes are attracted to humans by a combination of salts from human sweat and amino acids on the skin.
Scientists at Yale University have studied which flavors increase mosquitoesʼ appetite and which, on the contrary, decrease it, Phys.org and YaleNews report.
During the study, the researchers tested 46 taste compounds of different origins on tiger mosquitoes. Mosquito taste neurons respond differently to stimuli. For example, sugars excite many neurons and cause appetite, while bitter compounds suppress them.
Scientists have found that mosquitoes are likely able to distinguish between tastes. This is important for, for example, mosquito reproduction and other biological processes.
"The presence of these two different responses—excitation and inhibition—gives mosquitoes an expanded ability to encode taste, meaning they can likely distinguish a wide range of tastes," said one of the researchers.
Some bitter substances made mosquitoes eat less but did not prevent them from laying eggs. And salt and amino acids from human sweat did not make mosquitoes bite more on their own. However, when these substances were combined, the mosquitoes began to bite more actively.
In addition, it turned out that salt and certain amino acids, which are usually found in human sweat, alone only increase the appetite of mosquitoes in combination.
"We think this may be part of the reason why some of us are bitten by mosquitoes much more often than others," the scientist concluded.
Thanks to this finding, scientists will be able to develop drugs that will protect people from mosquito bites, especially those that carry diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and the Zika virus.
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