Evaluation of sticky ovitraps for the surveillance of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) and the screening of oviposition attractants from organic infusions.

The performance of sticky ovitraps for investigation of a container-breeding mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has been assessed for the first time, in the field, in Wuhan, China. Almost all (90.0%) of the mosquitoes collected in the ovitraps were Ae. albopictus and, in 2006, the seasonal abundance of this species as measured using the sticky ovitraps was significantly correlated with that measured using standard red ovitraps. The baiting with a Bermuda-grass (Cynodon dactylon) infusion of oviposition cups in the laboratory or standard red ovitraps in the field increased the numbers of Ae. albopictus eggs collected (compared with the numbers seen with a tap-water control). In an adult-counting assay, however, the use of such an infusion significantly increased the numbers of female Ae. albopictus coming to sticky oviposition cups only in the laboratory, not in the field. Under field conditions, when the sticky ovitraps were used, female Ae. albopictus showed no oviposition 'preference' for infusions made from the leaves of the camphorwood tree, box, green bristle grass, Bermuda grass, lotus magnolia or bamboo. In terms of the attractancy of the sticky ovitraps to female Ae. albopictus in the field, the red colour of the ovitraps appeared to contribute more than a Bermuda-grass infusion. It appears that sticky ovitraps could be used to monitor Ae. albopictus in the field effectively. Since mosquitoes that are attracted to organic infusions but lay no eggs cannot be detected using a standard ovitrap but can be collected and counted in sticky ovitraps, the latter may be a better choice when screening for mosquito attractants (rather than oviposition stimulants) in such infusions.