Journal Article

An assessment of adult mosquito collection techniques for studying species abundance and diversity in Maferinyah, Guinea

Jeffries, Claire L., Camara, Gnepou, Kristan, Mojca, Messenger, Louisa A., Cansado-Utrilla, Cintia, Beavogui, Abdoul H., Brugman, Victor A., Sylla, Moussa, Heard, Patrick, Irish, Seth R., Walker, Thomas

2020

Overview

Background Several mosquito collection methods are routinely used in vector control programmes. However, they target different behaviours causing bias in estimation of species diversity and abundance. Given the paucity of mosquito trap data in West Africa, we compared the performance of five trap-lure combinations and Human Landing Catches (HLCs) in Guinea. Methods CDC light traps (LT), BG sentinel 2 traps (BG2T), gravid traps (GT) and Stealth traps (ST) were compared in a 5 × 5 Latin Square design in three villages in Guinea between June and July 2018. The ST, a portable trap which performs similarly to a LT but incorporates LEDs and incandescent light, was included since it has not been widely tested. BG2T were used with BG and MB5 lures instead of CO 2 to test the efficacy of these attractants. HLCs were performed for 5 nights, but not as part of the Latin Square. A Generalised Linear Mixed Model was applied to compare the effect of the traps, sites and collection times on mosquito abundance. Species identification was confirmed using PCR-based analysis and Sanger sequencing. Results A total of 10,610 mosquitoes were captured across five traps. ST collected significantly more mosquitoes (7096) than the rest of the traps, but resulted in a higher number of damaged specimens. ST and BG2T collected the highest numbers of Anopheles gambiae ( s.l .) and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, respectively. HLCs captured predominantly An. coluzzii (41%) and hybrids of An. gambiae and An. coluzzii (36%) in contrast to the five traps, which captured predominantly An. melas (83%). The rural site (Senguelen) presented the highest abundance of mosquitoes and overall diversity in comparison with Fandie (semi-rural) and Maferinyah Centre I (semi-urban). Our results confirm the presence of four species for the first time in Guinea. Conclusions ST collected the highest number of mosquitoes suggesting this trap may play an important role for mosquito surveillance in Guinea and similar sites in West Africa. We recommend the incorporation of molecular tools in entomological studies since they have helped to identify 25 mosquito species in this area.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abundance / Aedes aegypti / Animal behavior / Anopheles / Anopheles gambiae / Anopheles melas / Aquatic insects / Attractants / BG sentinel 2 trap / Biodiversity / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Carbon dioxide / CDC light trap / CDC light traps / Collection / Collections / Comparative analysis / Culicidae / Deoxyribonucleic acid / DNA / DNA sequencing / Entomology / Epidemics / Gravid Trap / Guinea / human-landing catches / humans / Hybrids / imagos / incandescent lighting / Infectious Diseases / LEDs / Light traps / Malaria / Methods / monitoring / Mosquito / Mosquitoes / Nucleotide sequence / Parasitology / PCR / polymerase chain reaction / Prejudice / Rural areas / species abundance / Species diversity / Species identification / statistical models / Stealth trap / Studies / Surveillance / Tax administration / Time / Trapping / Tropical diseases / Tropical Medicine / vector control / Vectors (Biology) / Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science / villages / Virology