Behavioural and electrophysiological responses of the female malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) to Limburger cheese volatiles

Limburger cheese, previously shown to attract female Anopheles gambiae Giles, was solvent extracted and chemically fractionated into acid and non-acid fractions. The extracts and aliquots of headspace odour of the cheese were analysed by gas chromatography and electron impact mass spectrometry. Nine...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of entomological research 1997-04, Vol.87 (2), p.151-159
Main Authors: Knols, Bart G.J., van Loon, Joop J.A., Cork, Alan, Robinson, Rosemary D., Adam, Wim, Meijerink, Jocelijn, Jong, Ruurd De, Takken, Willem
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aliphatic fatty acids
Anopheles gambiae
Biological and medical sciences
electroantennography
electrophysiology
extracts
females
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
host seeking
insect attractants
Laboratorium voor Entomologie
Laboratory of Entomology
limburg cheese
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
odors
olfactory stimulation
Original Articles
PE&RC
Vectors. Intermediate hosts
volatile fatty acids
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Limburger cheese, previously shown to attract female Anopheles gambiae Giles, was solvent extracted and chemically fractionated into acid and non-acid fractions. The extracts and aliquots of headspace odour of the cheese were analysed by gas chromatography and electron impact mass spectrometry. Nineteen saturated and unsaturated aliphatic fatty acids, ranging in carbon chain length from C2 to C18, were detected. The most abundant acids (>1 mg/g of cheese) identified in the acid extract were ethanoic, propanoic, butanoic, hexadecanoic and 9-octadecenoic acid. The same compounds were identified in analyses of headspace samples but only trace quantities of the less volatile acids (C10 to C16) were present, whilst C18 acids were absent. Behavioural responses of female A. gambiae towards a range of dilutions of the acid extract (in diethyl ether) were recorded in a windtunnel bioassay. The undiluted extract was found to be repellent, but became highly attractive (P «0.001) at lower doses, and was still significantly attractive (P
ISSN:0007-4853
1475-2670
DOI:10.1017/S0007485300027292