Can’t stand mosquitoes? Don’t stop swatting.
They can actually learn to associate movements like swatting or shivering with human odors, according to a new study. Presumably not eager to go splat, the mosquitoes in the study learned to avoid the smell of a person who posed a threat.
SEE ALSO: Fish-Eating Spiders Found on Every Continent But Antarctica, Study Says
And, yes, mosquitoes have preferences when it comes to meals. Human beings are a favorite, and they even gain preferences for certain individuals (all the better if the person’s had a few drinks).
Researchers for the new study exposed the insects to human odors along with shocks and vibrations. Later, mosquitoes flew upwind and had to choose between the smell of a tasty human — which they previously preferred — and a control odor. Read more…
More about Mosquito, Insects, Mosquitoes, Science, and Animals