Laboratory and Greenhouse Performance of Five Commercial Light Traps for Capturing Mosquitoes in China.

Mosquito light traps for household use are popular because they are small, cheap, user friendly, and environment friendly. At present, there are many variations and specifications of mosquito traps intended for household use on the market. The light traps claim they are powerful, but research and evaluation are lacking. Key parameters such as capture rates in the laboratory and field of 5 popular mosquito traps were evaluated as intended for household use. This study found that in the laboratory experiments, the capture rate of the mosquito traps selected was between 34.7% and 65.0%. Field tests in greenhouses found that the 5 mosquito traps had high catch rates for Culex quinquefasciatus. The percentage of Cx. quinquefasciatus, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles sinensis, and other flying insects captured was 51.76%, 25.29%, 14.12%, and 8.82%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the capture rate of Ae. albopictus and An. sinensis by the 5 mosquito traps in the greenhouse, but a significant difference in the catch rate of Cx. quinquefasciatus. The analysis showed that the fan speed and design of the air guide of the traps are important factors that affect the mosquito catch rate and that the ultraviolet wavelength (395-400 nm) used by the traps did not impact mosquito catch rates. Therefore, the mosquito traps intended for household use can be improved by adjusting the fan speed and optimizing the air guide.