Maximising mosquito collections from barrier screens: the impacts of physical design and operation parameters

Edgar J M Pollard,Thomas R Burkot,Tanya L Russell

doi:10.1186/s13071-019-3291-4

Edgar J M Pollard, Thomas R Burkot + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3291-4

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Abstract

BackgroundTraditional methods for collecting outdoor resting mosquitoes are generally inefficient with relatively low numbers caught per unit effort. The barrier screen, designed to intercept mosquitoes as they fly between areas where blood meals are obtained and oviposition sites where eggs are laid, was developed in 2013 as a novel method of sampling outdoor mosquito populations. Barrier screens do not use an odorant lure and are thus a non-mechanical, simple, low maintenance and passive sampling method for use, even in isolated locations.MethodsTo maximise mosquito collections from barrier screens, multiple Latin square 3 × 3 experiments were conducted in Smithfield, Queensland, Australia. Parameters of barrier screens were varied including the effects of construction materials (net weight and colour), screen design and frequency of inspections.ResultsSignificantly more mosquitoes were collected on simple dark coloured screens of 50% or 70% shading weight with collections every 30 min. Sixty percent of mosquitoes were found on barrier screens within 60 cm of the ground.ConclusionsThe barrier screen is a relatively new adaptable tool that can answer a number of behavioural, ecological and epidemiological questions relevant for the surveillance and basic understanding of the movement and resting habits of mosquitoes by sex or physiological status. This method has demonstrated robustness in collecting a wide range of mosquito species as well as flexibility in where barrier screens can be deployed to explore mosquito movements within rural and peri-domestic environments.

Highlights

Traditional methods for collecting outdoor resting mosquitoes are generally inefficient with relatively low numbers caught per unit effort
Stationary nets are similar to the ramp trap but are made of nylon netting in a pyramid shape which allows flying mosquitoes to enter a large opening into a collecting sleeve [7]
Cloth weight significantly influenced the number of female An. farauti resting on the barrier screens (β = -0.7249, Standard error (SE) = 0.2591, P = 0.005) with the heavy shade cloth having fewer resting mosquitoes than barrier screens made with light and medium weighted shade cloth (Fig. 3 and Additional file 1: Table S1)

Summary

Introduction

Traditional methods for collecting outdoor resting mosquitoes are generally inefficient with relatively low numbers caught per unit effort. Mosquito sampling using long-range odorant lures (including human landing catches) give useful insights into mosquito densities attracted to fixed locations [1] but little work has been done to understand the movement of mosquitoes between locations. Observing insects in their natural flight patterns without influencing their behaviour requires using capture methods with minimal long-distance attractants [2]. Common passive methods for collecting mosquitoes and inferring movement patterns include malaise traps, ramp traps, stationary nets and sticky traps [3]. Sticky traps use a sticky surface to immobilize mosquitoes [1] with movement inferred from the direction the trap is facing

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