Response of Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) to volatiles of whole and individual components of the human scalp

FEDERICO G. GALASSI; PAOLA GONZALEZ-AUDINO; TOLOZA AC; PICOLLO MI

Conferencia; International Conference on Phthiraptera 6; 2018

The human head louse Pediculus humanus capitis (De Geer) (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) is a cosmopolitan human ectoparasite that causes pediculosis, one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases of humans. Blood-feeding insects use human skin secretions and metabolites from interaction with skin microflora as cues. These blends contain up to 400 volatiles chemicals including alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, and 3ʹ-lactones. Among these compounds, 1-octen-3-ol, l-lactic acid, and C3?C5 carboxylic acids are known to elicit attraction of hematophagous insects such as mosquitoes, biting midges, kissing bugs, and tsetse flies.The main goal of the present work was to evaluate the behavioral response of head lice to the volatiles of the whole human scalp odor and to the major volatile components