Endogenous regulation of the attraction of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Even when host attractants are present, there are times when endogenous physiological mechanisms prevent female mosquitoes from responding to them and engaging in host-seeking behavior. These times include a brief postemergence period, periods of the day determined by a circadian clock, and following a blood meal before and after eggs develop, which are controlled by nervous and humoral mechanisms. Other factors such as age, nutrition, and mating status can further modulate host-seeking behavior. The interplay of these factors affects the frequency at which mosquitoes will approach a host and feed on its blood, thus affecting the rates of parasite acquisition and transmission.