I’m Richard Halfpenny and I’m currently working towards my PhD and am studying the ecology and feeding behaviour of British mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are equipped with a fantastic sensory array, allowing them to locate sugar sources, mates and of course, for the females, their blood meal hosts and egg laying sites.

Female mosquito head, showing the sensory apparatus. The antennae, maxillary palps and proboscis. Compare this array to the male used in the page header image!

One of the most common approaches used to study this behaviour in the laboratory is the use of a dual choice olfactometer. These can be purchased as complete units or, more often than not, are built in-house to fit the specific application. This has lead to a plethora of variations on a theme, and a rich literature to review.

This blog follows my design, build, and testing process for ‘my’ dual choice olfactometer. I will be incorporating video clips which will focus on particular issues or design decisions, especially where I have been able to involve other students in workshops and discussions.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions!