New research says mosquitoes are most attracted to a specific color

穿哪种颜色的衣服最招蚊子？研究找到了答案！

While there are plenty of factors that go into how attractive you are to mosquitoes, new research has found the colors you’re wearing definitely play a role.

很多因素都可能导致你成为“招蚊体质”，但是新研究发现，你穿的衣服颜色也起到了一定作用。

That’s the main takeaway from a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. For the study, researchers from the University of Washington tracked the behavior of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes when they were given different types of visual and scent cues. The researchers put the mosquitoes into small test chambers and exposed them to different things, like a colored dot or person’s hand.

这是发表在《自然·通讯》期刊上的一项新研究得出的主要结论。来自华盛顿大学的研究人员在这项研究中追踪了雌性埃及伊蚊在被给予不同视觉和气味线索时的行为模式。研究人员把蚊子放在小试验箱中，然后让它们接触不同的东西，比如一个彩色圆点或一个人的手。

In case you're not familiar with how mosquitoes find food, they first detect that you’re around by smelling carbon dioxide from your breath. That prompts them to scan for certain colors and visual patterns that could indicate food, the researchers explained.

如果你不了解蚊子是如何觅食的，这里要告诉你，蚊子最开始察觉到你的存在是因为闻到了你呼出的二氧化碳。研究人员解释道，这促使它们寻觅和食物相关的特定颜色和视觉形态。

When there was no odor like carbon dioxide in the test chambers, the mosquitos pretty much ignored the colored dot, not matter what hue it was. But once researchers sprayed carbon dioxide in the chamber, they flew toward dots that were red, orange, black, or cyan. Dots that were green, blue, or purple were ignored.

如果试验箱里没有二氧化碳的气味，蚊子很可能会对彩色圆点视而不见，不论是什么颜色的圆点。但是研究人员只要在试验箱里喷洒二氧化碳，蚊子就会飞向红色、桔色、黑色或蓝绿色的圆点。与此同时，蚊子对绿色、蓝色或紫色的圆点视而不见。

“Light colors are perceived as a threat to mosquitoes, which is why many species avoid biting in direct sunlight,” entomologist Timothy Best says. “Mosquitoes are very susceptible to dying by dehydration, therefore light colors may instinctually represent danger and prompt avoidance. In contrast, darker colors may replicate shadows, which are more likely to absorb and retain heat, allowing mosquitoes to use their sophisticated antenna to locate a host.”

昆虫学家蒂莫西·贝斯特说：“浅色被蚊子视为威胁，这是各类蚊虫不在太阳直射下叮咬的原因。蚊子很容易脱水而死，因此浅颜色可能代表着危险，促使蚊子本能地避开。相比之下，深色与阴影更接近，更容易吸收和保留热量，这让蚊子可以动用它精密的触角来锁定叮咬对象。”

If you have the option of wearing lighter or darker clothes when you know you'll be going into an area with lots of mosquitoes, Best recommends going with the lighter choice. “Dark colors stand out to mosquitoes, whereas light colors blend in.” he says.

当你知道自己要去一个蚊子很多的地方时，如果你有浅色衣服和深色衣服可以选择，贝斯特建议你选择浅色的衣服。他说：“蚊子可以识别深色衣服，但却识别不出浅色衣服。”

How to prevent mosquito bites

如何预防蚊虫叮咬

Apart from avoiding colors mosquitoes like (red, orange, black, and cyan) when you’re going into areas where these bugs are known to lurk, there are other things you can do to lower your risk of being bitten by a mosquito, which include:

当你去蚊子多的地方时，除了避免穿蚊子喜欢的颜色（红色、桔色、黑色、蓝绿色），还有其他几种做法可以降低被蚊虫叮咬的几率。

Using insect repellent

用杀虫剂

Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants

穿长袖衬衫和长裤

Get rid of standing water around your home or empty items that hold water like bird baths, toys, and planters weekly

每周定期清理住宅附近的死水，或倒掉鸟池、玩具和花盆等容器里的水

Use screens on your windows and doors

安装纱窗和纱门

Each of these protective measures will contribute in decreasing your likelihood of getting bitten. And, if you're able to wear something other than red or dark colors, even better.

这些防护措施都能减少你被蚊虫叮咬的几率。当然，如果你不穿红色或深色的衣服就更好了。

英文来源：雅虎新闻

翻译&编辑：丹妮

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