Mosquitoes hover over human heads due to heat, carbon dioxide, and odor plumes
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 88/100
Multiple empirical studies support the conclusion that mosquitoes locate humans by tracking a combination of heat, carbon dioxide, and body odor plumes.
Evidence for · 6
The cation channel TRPA1 tunes mosquito thermotaxis to host temperatures.
2015 · cited by 106
Paper 1 shows that female mosquitoes are attracted to human body heat and use thermotaxis during host pursuit.
See more details
More for · 5
Controlling mosquitoes with semiochemicals: a review.
2020 · cited by 69
Paper 2 discusses the use of semiochemicals and odor plumes in mosquito host-seeking and surveillance.
Thermal infrared directs host-seeking behaviour in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
2024 · cited by 43
Paper 4 demonstrates that mosquitoes integrate carbon dioxide, organic odors, and thermal infrared radiation to locate human hosts.
Human scent guides mosquito thermotaxis and host selection under naturalistic conditions.
2023 · cited by 42
Paper 5 highlights that human scent and carbon dioxide guide mosquito thermotaxis and host selection.
Multimodal synergisms in host stimuli drive landing response in malaria mosquitoes.
2021 · cited by 21
Paper 8 confirms that visual, olfactory, and thermal sensory stimuli interact to drive host-seeking and landing responses.
Mosquito Host Seeking in 3D Using a Versatile Climate-Controlled Wind Tunnel System
2021 · cited by 18
Paper 11 shows that mosquitoes track human odor and carbon dioxide plumes successfully in a wind tunnel.