UC Riverside

The mosquito Aedes aegytpi expresses many chemoreceptors. Several of them, ionotropic receptors and olfactory receptors, are used to pick up volatile chemicals. It is believed that one of these receptors is responsible for directing mosquitoes to their hosts for blood feeding. While the antennae is the primary olfactory organ and the ideal target for inquiry, this project examines the labellum of the female mosquito where other olfactory receptors are expected to reside. While there is no conclusive data to suggested that a receptor in the labellar region is activated by human skin odor, this study does provide evidence that ionotropic receptors may exist there. Additionally, the sensilla were characterized using a small odorant panel and revealed that several of them responded differently, suggesting that the labellum uses different categories of sensilla to carry out olfactory detection.