A multiyear surveillance for Aedes albopictus with Biogents Sentinel trap counts for males and species composition of other mosquito species.

ABSTRACT

The Biogents Sentinel (BGS) trap is a very effective tool to monitor adult populations of Aedes albopictus. We utilized BGS traps during an intensive 5-year surveillance as part of an "Area-wide Management Program for the Asian Tiger Mosquito." During this period, >52,000 mosquitoes were collected, comprising a total of 24 species. The most abundant species was Ae. albopictus (54.4%) followed by Culex spp. (8.7%), which primarily comprised Culex pipiens pipiens (6.5%) and Cx. restuans (0.9%). We also collected > 15,000 male specimens of Ae. albopictus (28.7%) and > 3,400 males of Culex spp. (6.8%). Other species captured through our surveillance only comprised 1.7% of the total. Although BGS traps are becoming the gold standard instrument for Ae. albopictus surveillance, they can also be used to collect other important mosquito species, which can enhance existing vector surveillance programs.