Efficiency of the CO2 -baited omni-directional Fay-Prince trap under semi-field conditions and characterizing response behaviours for the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

Abstract

Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector of several serious disease-causing viruses including Dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Effective and efficient trapping methods are essential for meaningful mosquito population and disease-presence surveillance and ultimately, vector control. The Fay-Prince trap (FPT) was developed in the late 1960s as a daytime visual trap for male Ae. aegypti. Since then, its use has been expanded into the trapping of female Ae. aegypti, Aedes albopictus Skuse, other Ae. spp., and Culex spp. The efficiency of the FPT alone and with CO2 was tested under semi-field conditions and the behaviour of responding female Ae. aegypti was characterized. The mean capture efficiency of the FPT with CO2 per 30 min in the greenhouse was 3.07% and the capture rate from the total number of mosquitoes in our semi-field setup was slightly higher at 4.45%. Understanding the behaviours that mosquitoes exhibit during their encounter with particularly a visual trap may recommend trap improvements and contributes to our understanding of host-seeking behaviour and how it might be exploited.