DEET as a feeding deterrent

The insect repellent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), is a multimodal compound that acts as a spatial repellent as well as an irritant (contact repellent), thus being perceived by the insect's olfactory and gustatory systems as an odorant and a tastant, respectively. Soon after DEET was developed, almost 6 decades ago, it was reported that it reduced mosquito feeding on blood mixed with this repellent. It is now known that the mosquito proboscis senses contact repellents with the tips (labella) of the labium, which remain in direct contact with the outer layers of the skin, while the stylets, including the feeding deterrent sensor (labrum), penetrate the skin. We designed a behavioral assay that allowed us to measure feeding deterrence without complications from contact or spatial repellency. Using the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, we demonstrate here that when DEET was mixed with blood and covered by Parafilm® layers, the mean number of landings and duration of contacts with surfaces covering blood mixed with DEET or blood plus solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide) did not differ significantly thus implying that DEET did not leak to the outer surface. The feeding times, however, were significantly different. When blood was mixed either with 0.1 or 1% DEET, female southern house mosquitoes spent significantly (P<0.0001) less time feeding than the time spent feeding on blood mixed only with the solvent. By contrast, significant differences in the mean times of feeding on blood containing 1% picaridin and blood plus solvent were significant at 5%, but not at 1% level. Like DEET, the contact repellent and insecticide, permethrin, caused a significant (P<0.0001) reduction in feeding time. We, therefore, concluded, that in this context, DEET, permethrin, and, to a lesser extent, picaridin, act as feeding deterrents.