Parasite drives host to nectar

摘要

Mosquitoes carrying a malaria-causing parasite develop an increased desire for sugar. Baldwyn Torto of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi and his colleagues monitored the attraction of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (pictured) to plant odours and the investigative behaviour of the insects around nectar sources. In laboratory experiments, the authors showed that insects infected with Plasmodiumfalciparum parasites were more attracted to plant odours and demonstrated increased pre-feeding probing activity compared with uninfected individuals.