Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #268423
Title: Efficacy of ovitrap colors and patterns for attracting Aedes albopictus at suburban field sites in North-Central Florida

Author
item HOEL, DAVID - Us Navy Medical Entomology Detachment
item OBERNAUER, PETER - Navy And Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC)
item CLARK, MARAH - North Florida Research & Education Center
item SMITH, RICHARD - North Florida Research & Education Center
item HUGHES, TONY - Us Navy
item LARSON, RYAN - Us Navy
item DICLARO, JOSEPH - Us Navy
item Allan, Sandra - Sandy

Submitted to: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2011
Publication Date: 12/1/2011
Citation: Hoel, D.F., Obernauer, P.J., Clark, M., Smith, R., Hughes, T.H., Larson, R.T., Diclaro, J.W., Allan, S.A. 2011. Efficacy of ovitrap colors and patterns for attracting Aedes albopictus at suburban field sites in North-Central Florida. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 27(3):245-251.

Interpretive Summary: Both the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti, are serious nuisances pests and vectors of dengue virus in the US. Control and disease surveillance programs are limited by the efficacy of surveillance methods for these mosquitoes. In this study conducted collaboratively with a scientist at USDA’s Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) in Gainesville (FL), the effect of color and visual patterns on ovitraps were examined to increase efficacy of this surveillance method. Based on trials at three different field sites in Florida, solid black ovitraps were the most effective of all other color and patterns evaluated.

Technical Abstract: We sought to visually enhance the attractiveness of a standard black ovitrap routinely used in surveillance of the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and now being used as lethal ovitraps in Aedes aegypti dengue control programs. Black plastic drinking cups (ovitraps) were visually altered to offer field populations of gravid female Ae. albopictus six different oviposition site choices. Trials were conducted at 3 field locations in Gainesville, Orange Park, and Jacksonville, Florida, during July and August, 2009. A black glossy cup served as the control and was tested against five cup choices consisting of white, blue, orange, or black and white contrasting patterns (checkered or vertically-striped). Means (±SE) of eggs collected over six weeks for each choice were: black 122.53 (±9.63) > blue 116.74 (±10.74) > checkered 101.84 (±9.53) > orange 97.15 (±7.95) > striped 84.62 (±8.17) > white 81.84 (±8.74). Significantly more eggs (P < 0.05) were collected from black ovitraps than from striped or white ovitraps with respect to choice from gravid Ae. albopictus seeking artificial oviposition sites.