Blacklight Trap Research Articles

The Comparative Field Evaluation of Four Different Traps for Mosquito Surveillance in the Republic of Korea.

Monitoring mosquito populations is essential for controlling mosquito-borne diseases, and the selection of mosquito traps should be tailored to specific surveillance objectives. Here, we tested four mosquito traps for their efficiency and applicability: the Nozawa-style black light trap (BLT), BG-sentinel trap II (BGT), UV-LED Blackhole Plus Mosquito Buster trap (LED), and digital mosquito monitoring system (DMS). The traps were rotated weekly for a 24 h cycle at the same location for 13 weeks. Overall, 1649 female mosquitoes belonging to seven genera and sixteen species were collected by the traps. The traps exhibited differences in both the number of collected individuals and species composition. The BLT showed superior collection efficiency in terms of the number of collected individuals and species evenness, whereas the BGT showed the highest species diversity among all the traps. Thus, the BLT and BGT are the best choices for effective mosquito surveillance based on trap performance. Additionally, despite the relatively low efficiency of the LED and DMS observed in this study, the LED is known to be efficient when used for indoor conditions such as cowsheds, while the DMS has an advanced function that can automatically count the number of mosquitoes. Thus, our findings provide significant guidelines for planning new mosquito surveillance projects in the ROK.

Moths are less attracted to light traps than they used to be

As evidence of global insect declines continues to mount, insect conservationists are becoming increasingly interested in modeling the demographic history of at-risk species from long-term survey data. However, certain entomological survey methods may be susceptible to temporal biases that will complicate these efforts. Entomological light traps, in particular, may catch fewer insects today than they once did due solely to increases in anthropogenic light pollution. Here we investigate this possibility by comparing the demographic histories of corn earworm moths (Helicoverpa zea) estimated from pairs of blacklight and pheromone traps monitored at the same farms. We find a stark decline in blacklight trap efficacy over 25 years of monitoring in Delaware, USA, mirrored over 10 years of monitoring in New Jersey, USA. While the precise causes of this decline remain a subject for discussion, the practical consequences are clear: insect conservationists cannot fully rely on long-term trends from entomological light traps.

Complementary of Blacklight Trap and Flight Interception Trap in a Multi-Year Study of Flying Coleoptera near a Farm Pond in Southern Québec (Canada)

Complementary of Blacklight Trap and Flight Interception Trap in a Multi-Year Study of Flying Coleoptera near a Farm Pond in Southern Québec (Canada)

Updated Key to the North American Species of Euceratocerus LeConte, with a New State Record for Euceratocerus gibbifrons White (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from North Carolina, USA

Euceratocerus gibbifrons White is reported as a new state record for North Carolina. Specimens were collected in Union County by operating a UV (black light) trap at an aging log pile. Photos of the dorsal habitus, lateral habitus, and antennae of males and females of all three US species (E. gibbifrons, Euceratocerus hornii LeConte, and Euceratocerus parvus White) are presented along with an illustration of the only species known from Mexico (Euceratocerus argenteus White). Photos of the dorsal habitus, lateral habitus, and anterior view of the head and antennae of the holotype of E. hornii are presented. Illustrations of the antennae of most species are also provided. These images are included in an updated key to the Euceratocerus LeConte species of North America. The confused taxonomic history of Euceratocerus and the possibility of synonyms are addressed.

Semi-field evaluation of novel chemical lures for Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles minimus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand

BackgroundEntomological surveillance is an important means of assessing the efficacy of insect vector management programs and estimating disease transmission thresholds. Among baited traps, Biogents’ BG-Sentinel (BGS) trap baited with BG-Lure is considered to have the most similar outcome to, and be a possible replacement for, human-landing catches for the epidemiologically relevant monitoring of adult Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. In contrast to the BGS trap, the Black Hole ultraviolet (UV) light trap, which is widely used to catch nocturnal flying insects, is not baited with synthetic human odor-mimicking lures.MethodsWe evaluated the l-lactic acid-based Kasetsart University (KU)-lures nos. 1–6 as novel candidate chemical lures for the diurnal species Ae. aegypti and the nocturnal species Cx. quinquefasciatus using two commercial traps (the BGS trap and the Black Hole UV light trap) in a semi-field screen (SFS) house. Firstly, we optimized the dose of each KU-lure in an SFS house (140 m3). Secondly, six different candidate KU-lures were screened by comparing their percent attraction using a single discriminating dose (0.5 g). Finally, we evaluated the synergism of the KU-lures selected in this way with commercially available traps.ResultsBGS traps baited with KU-lure no. 1 exhibited the greatest percent attraction for Ae. aegypti (29.5% ± 14.3%), whereas those baited with KU-lure no. 6 most strongly attracted Cx. quinquefasciatus (33.3% ± 10.7%). Interestingly, BGS traps treated with 10 g BG-Lure did not significantly attract more Ae. aegypti or Cx. quinquefasciatus than the untreated BGS traps. CO2 at a flow rate of 250 ml/min most strongly attracted both Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus (42.2% ± 14.2% and 75.1% ± 16.9%, respectively). BGS and Black Hole UV light traps with KU-lure no. 6 exhibited a stronger attraction for Cx. quinquefasciatus than untreated traps, and the percent attraction did not differ between the treated traps.ConclusionsSynergistic effects of KU-lures nos. 1 and 6 with the mosquito traps were demonstrated for both the diurnal and nocturnal species in the SFS house assays. However, further studies are urgently needed for the development of species-specific lures to increase trap efficacy in the field for local vector mosquitoes in Thailand.Graphical

The Effect of the Blue and Black Light Trap on the Diversity of the Trichoptera (Caddisfly Adult) and Other Insects in Lotic and Lentic Area of Mae Tam Reservoir, Thailand

This study was conducted using two types of light traps to collect the insects at Mae Tam Reservoir from January to April 2018. The sampling area was divided into 4 points. Two points were located at the reservoir’s bank, and the others were located at the reservoir’s outlet. The study aimed to compare the efficiency of the fluorescent tube's blue and purple light, which had a different wavelength on insect’s attraction. To compare the diversity of Trichoptera in the different stream habitats, Sørensen similarity index, Shannon-Wiener index, and Evenness index were used. The result showed that purple light could attract insects better than blue light. Hymenoptera was attracted by purple light. Coleoptera and Hemiptera were attracted by blue light. The study on the diversity of Trichoptera showed that there were 2,534 individuals of 9 families 48 species were collected. Ecnomus puro was the most abundant species (1,120 individuals). The highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index was sampling points 4 (2.10). The highest Evenness index was sampling points 4 (0.62). Sørensen similarity index showed that sampling points 3 and 4 had the highest value (67.92 %) because they were adapted from a natural creek to concrete where boulder, gravel, cobble, sand, and woody material were deposited at the stream bottom. These provided various microhabitats for insect larva to live and develop. The riparian had affected the distribution and colonization of mature insects.

White Grub Adults1 Associated with Maize (Zea mays L.) at Zaachila, Oaxaca, Mexico

Results of a preliminary study on adult scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae “Pleurosticti”) associated with maize (Zea mays L.) at the municipality of Villa de Zaachila, Oaxaca, Mexico are presented. The objective was to identify species of the white grub complex associated with the crop. Samples were collected each month from March through August 2018. A blacklight trap in the center of the maize plot was used from 1900 to 2300 hours during 3 nights of the new moon period. In total, 1,429 specimens were captured, belonging to 12 species, four genera, four tribes, and three subfamilies of Scarabaeidae. Abundance was greatest in April, coinciding with the start of the rainy season. The genus Anomala Samouelle with five species was most abundant. Anomala flavilla Bates, 1888 was the most abundant species and together with A. sticticoptera Blanchard, 1850 were reported for the first time in the State of Oaxaca. An annotated checklist with data on distribution, elevation, and associated crops was presented. A key was provided for taxonomic identification of the species studied.

Improving invasive species management using predictive phenology models: an example from brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) in Japan.

In order to better understand the population dynamics of invasive species in their native range, we developed two predictive phenological models using the ubiquitous invasive insect pest, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), as the model organism. Our work establishes a zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINB) model, and a general additive mixed model (GAMM) based on 11 years of black light trap monitoring of H.halys at three locations in Japan. The ZINB model indicated that degree days (DD) have a significant effect on the trap catch of adult H.halys, and that precipitation has no effect. A dataset generated by 1000 simulations from the ZINB suggested that higher predicted trap catches equated to a lower probability of encountering a zero-count. The GAMM produced a cubic regression smooth curve which forecasts the seasonal phenology of H.halys as following a bell-shaped trend in Japan. Critical DD points during the field season in Japan included 261 DD for first H.halys adult detection and 1091 DD for peak activity. This study establishes the first models capable of forecasting native H.halys population dynamics based on DD. These robust models practically improve population forecasting of H.halys in the future and help fill gaps in knowledge pertaining to its native phenology, thus ultimately contributing to the progression of efficient management of this globally invasive species. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

EVALUATION OF DYNATRAP® DT160 AS AN INEXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO CDC TRAPS FOR ADULT MOSQUITO MONITORING IN MALI, WEST AFRICA

Mosquito monitoring traps (i.e., CDC light traps) are crucial tools for basic vector ecology research, risk assessment, and vector control programs. Unfortunately, they are expensive which is often an issue in projects conducted in developing countries. Therefore, it would be desirable to have reliable but inexpensive alternatives based on existing consumer products. We compared an off-the-shelf DynaTrap (model DT160, CCFL tube 365 ± 3 nm UV) modified to fit a CDC trap collection bag and to use a 12V power supply, with two commonly used CDC traps: CDC Miniature Light Trap Model 512 (incandescent light, 6 Volt) and CDC Miniature Downdraft Blacklight (UV) Trap Model 912 (4-Watt blue-black-light tube, 12 Volt), in different ecological settings in southwest (Kenieroba) and northwest (Nioro du Sahel) Mali, West Africa. In northwest Mali, the modified DynaTrap caught a mean of 20.67 ± 2.8 females and 5.38 ± 1.0 male Aedes aegypti which was 16.55% and 10.78% more, respectively, than the CDC incandescent trap (control). The DynaTrap caught a mean of 29.75 ± 2.8 female and 17.92 ± 3.5 male Culex quinquefasciatus. which was 47.76% and 20.70% more than the control CDC incandescent trap. The DynaTrap caught a mean of 2.46 ± 0.5 females and 1.63 ± 0.6 males and 10.16% and 2.45% more female and male An. gambiae s.l., respectively, than the CDC incandescent trap. Trap and catch means were lower at the southwest Mali site. However, trap catch proportions by sex were similar to those in the northwest. The modified DynaTrap outperformed both CDC monitoring traps for less than one third of the cost including the cost of the DynaTrap modifications.

Field evaluation of four commercial light traps, trap placement, and effect of carbon dioxide on phlebotomine sand fly collection in northern Thailand

Several light trap devices have been invented and developed to assess the abundance of sand flies. Traps available in the market have different designs and attractant combinations to catch sand fly vectors. We evaluated the efficacy of four commercial light traps and determined the effect of trap placement and carbon dioxide (CO2) on sand fly collection in northern Thailand. Trap evaluations were conducted at two natural caves located in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. In the first part of the study, the efficacies of four trap types including the Centers for Disease Control miniature light trap (CDC LT), Encephalitis Vector Survey trap (EVS), CDC Updraft Blacklight trap (CDC UB), and Laika trap (LK) were evaluated and compared using a Latin square experimental design. The second half of the study evaluated the influence of trap placement and CO2 on sand fly collection. Additionally, CDC LT were placed inside, outside, and at the entrance of caves to compare the number of sand flies collected. For the trap efficacy experiment, a total of 11,876 phlebotomine sand flies were collected over 32 trap-nights. Results demonstrated that CDC LT, CDC UB, and LK collected significantly more sand flies than EVS (P > 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the numbers of sand flies collected by CDC LT, CDC UB, and LK. A total of 6,698 sand flies were collected from the trap placement and CO2 experiment over 72 trap-nights. Results showed that CO2 did not influence the numbers of sand flies captured (P < 0.05), whereas trap placement at the entrance of the caves resulted in collection of significantly more sand flies than traps placed inside and outside of the caves. We found the CDC LT, CDC UB, and LK without CO2 captured the greatest amount of sand flies. This was particularly observed when traps were placed at the entrance of a cave, perhaps because of the greater passage of stimuli caused by wind flow at the entrance of the cave. The light traps in this study can be used effectively to collect sand fly vectors in northern Thailand.

Identification of mosquito species and determination of population density in the Taif governorate, Saudi Arabia

The surveillance of mosquitoes is the primary method for protecting humans from the spread of dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue fever transmitted by certain mosquito species. The present study aimed to survey and identify mosquito species in the Taif governorate to determine their medical importance and monitor their distribution across seasons. A black hole light trap was used to collect adult mosquitoes, with four readings per month over an entire year recorded. A total of 3796 adult mosquitoes were collected, and 12 species were identified. All species belonged to the following genera: Culex, Aedes, Anopheles, Culiseta, and Lutzia; however, mosquito genera of medical importance (i.e., Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles) were examined in the present study. Adult mosquito species occurred throughout the entire year, with peaks of density and activity during summer and autumn (24-30°C), confirming that environmental temperature plays a key role in mosquito existence and distribution. This study might provide evidence regarding the spread of mosquitoes and creates a database of the mosquito species in the Taif governorate, which would assist in pest control programs.

Diversity of Adult Caddisfly (Trichoptera) in Two Intermittent Streams During Dry Season in Phayao Province, Thailand

The effect of anthropogenic activities on natural intermittent stream and diversity of adult caddisfly were studied at the University of Phayao, Thailand. The caddisfly adults were collected monthly from 2 intermittent streams (the Huai Thub Chang and Huai Luang streams) from February to May 2015 (cool-dry to hot-dry season) using a black-light trap. Huai Thub Chang stream received wastewater from the oxidation pond, while Huai Luang stream was affected by an agricultural field of the university. Both streams are located in a deciduous forest. The 14 species of 7 families were collected and identified. Cheumatopsyche lucida (Hydropsychidae) and Leptocerus dirghachuka (Leptoceridae) were found in both streams. C. lucida was the most abundant species. Micrasema turbo, Amphipsyche meridiana, C. globosa, Diplectrona lavinia, Macrostemum dohrni, Marilia sumatrana, and Wormaldia relicta were found only in Huai Thub Chang stream, whereas C. dhanikari, Lepidostoma doligung and Chimarra toga were found only in Huai Luang stream. A high number of C. lucida in both streams from February to April reflected a drought effect on the emergence of the caddisflies. Huai Thub Chang stream had a higher diversity of Trichoptera species than Huai Luang stream because of the variety of substrate types which were suited for the larval stage, especially hydropsychids.

Population dynamics of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and their disease-harboring rates in Gyeonggi province, South Korea

• Population dynamics of mosquitoes were monitored from 2017 to 2019 in South Korea. • Population peak was observed in August and September from survey sites conducted. • Dominant mosquito species were varied between suburban residential and rural area. • From the pools tested, three pools were positive for Japanese encephalitis virus. Population dynamics and species composition of mosquitoes were monitored in a suburban residential area and rural areas, including a migratory bird refuge area and a cattle farm area, from 2017 to 2019. Mosquitoes were collected every two weeks using one BG sentinel trap and two black-light traps in a suburban residential area and a migratory bird refuge area, and one black-light trap in a cattle farm area from March to November. From the surveillance, a total of 13,267, 9,697 and 6,688 mosquitoes were collected in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. The peak of the mosquito population was observed in August and September in both the suburban residential area and rural areas. In general, Culex pipiens pallens was the dominant species in the suburban residential area, whereas Aedes vexans nipponii and Anopheles spp. were the most dominant in the rural areas. Collected mosquitoes were pooled into groups for each collection site and species to investigate flavivirus harboring. Three pools were positive for Japanese encephalitis virus type V, one pool was positive for Chaoyang virus, and six pools were positive for Culex flavi virus from the 731 pools tested. When total numbers of collected mosquitoes were further analyzed by linear regression analysis for their interaction with ambient temperature and relative humidity, the number of mosquitoes were significantly affected by the ambient temperature. In contrast, relative humidity was significantly affecting the total number of mosquitoes only for the migratory bird refuge area.

Lepidoptera Diversity Based on Continuous Surveys 2009–2011 and 2017–2019 at a Transition Zone Site in the Central Cascade Range, Washington, USA

Lepidoptera at a single mid-elevation site in the central Cascade Range in Washington state were surveyed for six full seasons spanning 11 years (2009–2011, 2017–2019). Sampling was performed continuously with a blacklight trap, and was supplemented with pheromone traps, searches for immature stages, day collecting, observation, photography, and sugar bait traps. The habitat is forested transition zone, including old growth forest, slightly east of the Cascade divide in the southern part of the North Cascades ecoregion. The fauna of 822 species is categorized by the number of seasons each species was found over the span of the study. The higher-order distribution of the fauna within Lepidoptera, impact of sampling methods, annual and multi-year fluctuations in abundance, and local climate effects on flight period are presented. Taxonomic challenges and noteworthy records are discussed. Representative species and genitalia are illustrated.

Field evaluation of light-emitting diodes to trap the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a limiting pest of many agricultural crops worldwide. At present, in-field populations of H. armigera are routinely monitored using conventional light traps. During 2014, 2015, we conducted field assays to assess the relative attractiveness of narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at 19 single wavelengths (375–748 nm) in H. armigera light traps. Between 2016 and 2019, LEDs with the most attractive wavelengths were then further evaluated in two different sites, i.e., Xinxiang and Anci (China). During 2014–2015, the highest H. armigera trap capture was obtained with LEDs at 395 nm, while it was not significantly different from LED wavelengths of 375 nm and 418 nm in 2015. During field trials in Xinxiang, H. armigera trap capture did not differ among (four) wavelengths (375 nm, 385 nm, 395 nm, and 405 nm) in either year. In the Anci site, most H. armigera adults were caught in traps equipped with LEDs of 385 nm during two years, but it was not significantly different from those at 405 nm in 2017. In 2019, H. armigera trap capture rate was higher for LEDs at 385 nm than for those at 395 nm, and 2.91-fold higher to that of a commercial UV blacklight (365 ± 50 nm) trap. Our work shows how LED-equipped traps constitute an efficient, energy-conserving way to monitor cotton bollworm populations, providing trap capture rates that surpass those of conventional technologies. We discuss how these innovative measures can complement the integrated pest management (IPM) toolbox for H. armigera in China and abroad.

Phyllophaga (Chirodines) Moroni (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), a New Species from Oaxaca, Mexico

Phyllophaga (Chirodines) moroni is described based on 8 males collected by black-light trap in a disturbed area of pine-oak forest of the Sierra-Sur region of Oaxaca State, Mexico. This finding represents the fifth described species of the subgenus on the American continent, the second species of the subgenus listed for Oaxaca State, and the third species of the subgenus for Mexico. A key to separate the 5 species in the subgenus Chirodines presently described is provided.

Species composition, seasonal prevalence and flavivirus occurrence of mosquitoes in Daegu and Gunwi, South Korea during the period of 2015–2016

AbstractAs the vector‐borne diseases rapidly increased due to climate change, we investigated the incidence of flavivirus occurrence among female mosquito species in urban and rural study sites in Daegu and Gunwi, South Korea using Realtime PCR. We collected more individuals and more species of mosquito in 2016 than in 2015. In 2015, we recorded a total of 22,033 mosquitoes (Trap Index, 224.8) representing 10 species from 5 genera, whereas in 2016, a total of 27,137 mosquitoes (Trap Index, 278.7) representing 13 species from 6 genera were collected. The number of mosquitoes in 2016 was higher in all study sites, except in the migratory bird habitats where the number decreased. Of the 14 species collected over the two years, Aedes vexans nipponii and Anopheles spp. were dominant in the cowsheds in rural farmland; Culex pipiens complex, in urban residential areas; and, Anopheles spp. and Cu. pipiens complex in migratory bird habitats caught in a black light trap. Cu. pipiens complex and Ae. albopictus in urban parks and Ae. albopictus and Armigeres subalbatus in migratory bird habitats were the dominant species caught in BG‐sentinel traps. We found that the number of mosquitoes was highest during July–September. We analyzed 1,725 pools to detect flavivirus, where Chaoyang virus was detected among Ae. vexans niponii collected from cowsheds in rural farmland in 2016. The increased number of mosquitoes recorded in 2016 was mainly due to increased temperatures in the study areas, and reflected the change in study sites.

Performance evaluation of locally developed black light trap for maize insects monitoring in Chitwan, Nepal

Till today, the light traps in Nepal are found using with traditional type, which have not being recognized internationally. These light traps were of low efficiency for trapping insects as compared to black light trap (BLT). The black light tube (F10T8/BL) was used in newly constructed trap at National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal. Both traps were installed at the maize experimental field at NMRP during February to October, 2017. Data on insect numbers were recorded once in a week from dusk to down in two different days to minimize the light effects of each others. The total number of insects trapped in BLT was 2804 as compared to 868 in traditional light trap (TLT). Among the insect orders, Coleopterans were mostly trapped in BLT followed by Lepidopteron and Hemipterans. The results showed that the trapping efficiency of BLT was three fold higher than that of TLT. Therefore, black light trap was highly effective monitoring tool and its field applications are expected to be commercialized.

Occurence and spreading of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walker 1859) on the North-East region of Great Hungarian Plain

Box tree moth shows (Cydalima perspectalis) rapid spread in Europe. In Hungary it appeared first near to the western border of the country in 2011. In the eastern part of Hungary the first specimen was caught in 2015 with blacklight trap. Here we summarize its distribution in northern part of the Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain) on the basis of blacklight, pheromone and feeding attractant traps. We publish five new distribution data from northern part (4 from Hungary, 1 from Transcarpathia) and two from southern part of the Alföld. Beyond that the flight of three generations was observed both in the year 2015 and 2016.

Distribution of the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walker 1859) in the north‐eastern part of the Carpathian Basin with a new Ukrainian record and Hungarian data

After it was recorded in South‐West Germany and the Netherlands in 2007, the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) spread rapidly in Europe and appeared in West Hungary in 2011. In the eastern part of the country the first specimen was caught in 2015 with a blacklight trap. On the basis of specimens of C. perspectalis caught in blacklight, pheromone or feeding attractant traps, the authors summarize its distribution and publish four new records from Hungary and the first data from West Ukraine (Transcarpathia). The flight dynamics of three generations of this pest are also described for 2015 and 2016.