Question

You have found that mosquitoes fly toward heat sources. What type of orienting responses is this?

A) Phototaxis
B) Geotaxis
C) Hydrotaxis
D) Thigmotaxis
E) Thermotaxis

Answer 1

Mosquitoes flying toward heat sources exhibit thermotaxis, a type of directed movement towards a heat stimulus that is a positive type of taxis response.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of orienting response where mosquitoes fly toward heat sources is known as thermotaxis. This is a form of taxis, which is the directed movement towards or away from a stimulus. In this case, the mosquitoes display a positive response by moving toward the heat. It is important to note that other forms of taxis include phototaxis (movement in response to light), chemotaxis (movement in response to chemical stimuli), and geotaxis (movement in response to gravity). The preferences of mosquitoes for heat sources are guided by their innate biological mechanisms that steer them in the direction of the warm environment, which may be associated with potential blood hosts.