Experiments of mosquito behavior showed that both native and non-native mosquitoes preferred a solution of nonanal and lilac aldehyde mixed in the same ratio as found in blunt-leaf flowers. If the researchers omitted lilac aldehyde from the recipe, mosquitoes lost interest. If they added more lilac aldehyde -- at levels found in the blunt-leaf orchid's close relatives -- mosquitoes were indifferent or repelled by the scent.

Read more in Mosquitoes are drawn to flowers as much as people -- and now scientists know why at EurekAlert.

Geosmin is one of the most recognizable and common microbial smells on the planet, and scientists from FIU, Lund University and University of Washington have discovered the organic compound is particularly appealing to mosquitoes looking for a place to lay their eggs.

“It’s the smell of rain as it drops on the parched earth,” said FIU biologist Matthew DeGennaro, who was part of the team that made the discovery. “We now know geosmin is part of the story of how mosquitoes breed.”

— Read more in Scientists bait mosquitoes with one of Earth’s most common scents at Florida International University.