Laboratory evaluation of differential attraction of Culex pipiens pallens to the volatiles of flowers, fruits, and seed pods

Abstract

The attraction of Culex pipiens pallens Coquillett to various potential sugar sources in their habitats remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the attraction of Cx. pipiens pallens to the volatiles of different kinds of flowers, fruits, and seed pods by multiple choice tests under laboratory conditions. Nine of the 21 tested fresh tissues of flowers were attractive to females and six of them were attractive to males. The volatiles of six flowers (Ligustrum quihoui, Abelia chinensis, Ophiopogon japonicus, Phaseolus vulgaris, Osmanthus fragrans, and Nerium indicum) were attractive to both female and male Cx. pipiens pallens, and the flowers of Torenia fournieri and Lavandula angustifolia were potentially repellent to female and male mosquitoes, respectively. Besides, the volatiles of three fruits and seed pods (Broussonetia papyrifera, Amygdalus persica, and Cucumis melo) were attractive to both female and male Cx. pipiens pallens while the seed pods of Ficus carica and Pyrus bretschneideri were only attractive to females and males, respectively. This study provides valuable information on developing novel control methods against Cx. pipiens pallens in China.