indolergic Odorant receptors (indolORs) are more ancient than previously thought.
Mosquitoes are not the only insects to detect indoles with high sensitivity and selectivity. Thought to be a mosquito-specific gene lineage, we have recently identified "cryptic" homologs in two other fly families, including the housefly (BioRxiv) and the vinegar fly. These molecular mechanisms may be mediating fly attraction to oviposition sites (organic matter) and to sources of nectar.