Mosquitoes show species‑specific preferences for human hosts, study finds

A study published in the journal iScience examined why some people receive more mosquito bites than others. Researchers from Florida International University tested 119 volunteers in Miami using an olfactometer that exposed three mosquito species—Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus—to human skin odors.

The results showed that no individual was universally attractive to all three species. Each mosquito species responded to distinct combinations of volatile compounds and skin‑microbiome signatures. Aedes aegypti displayed a slight preference for male volunteers, while the other two species showed no sex bias. Three chemicals—ethyl 2‑methylbutanoate, (E)‑2‑hexen‑1‑ol formate and α‑pinene—were more common in people who attracted multiple species. Analysis of skin bacteria identified 246 taxa, with three taxa repeatedly present among highly attractive participants.

The findings suggest that mosquito attraction is driven by species‑specific odor cues and microbial communities, explaining why some individuals act as “mosquito magnets” for certain species but not for others.