Field Study on Acoustic Trapping of Mansonia (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaysia. I. Mass-Trapping of Males by a Cylindrical Sound Trap

Abstract

Conditions of cylindrical sound traps to maximize the capture of adult Mansonia were studied with this sound trap system in a field. Male and female Mansonia attraction to the odor of a guinea pig and CO2 gas began at approximately 30 min before sunset. The mixed swarm developed after sunset. Male Mansonia responded to a sound of 350 Hz sinusoidal wave which was the same frequency as the female wing sound and were strongly attracted to the sound source in the dark after 20: 00. However, few males responded to frequencies of the sinusoidal wave higher than 600 Hz. The effective range of the sound was a short distance from the sound source. On the other hand, few females responded to the frequency band between 350 and 1,000 Hz. The combination of the odor of a guinea pig and the CO2 gas produced by dry ice as the attractant was most effective for mosquito attraction near the sound trap. Mansonia were not attracted by visual stimuli. The height of the sound trap and the position of the dry ice influenced the catches. More than 99% of Mansonia caught in the traps were Ma. uniformis. Mass-trapping of male Mansonia by an attracting sound is promising. © 1988, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.