The effect of color and environment on mosquito oviposition and biodiversity under semi-field conditions

• Published in: International journal of tropical insect science 2023-06, Vol.43 (3), p.1049-1057
• Main Authors: Moazzeni, Parisa, Tangsiri, Mona, Soltan-Alinejad, Parisa, Shahriari-Namdadi, Marzie, Daghighi, Elaheh, Soltani, Aboozar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic habitats; Aquatic insects; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Color; Culicidae; Dominant species; Entomology; Environmental factors; Fruit trees; Larvae; Life Sciences; Mosquitoes; Organic matter; Original Research Article; Oviposition; Trees; Well water
• ISSN: 1742-7592; 1742-7584; 1742-7592
• DOI: 10.1007/s42690-023-01023-5

Adequate knowledge of mosquito behavior can aid in the prevention of numerous diseases that they are capable of transmitting. Therefore, a comprehensive research was designed to study the effects of color and some environmental factors on the oviposition behavior and biodiversity of mosquitoes for the first time in Iran. This study was conducted in seven different locations in Shiraz city, south of Iran. Two experimental groups were included: Group 1 received well water, and Group 2 received processed water, which were applied into 28 identical containers of different colors in each group. After oviposition, the larvae were collected and identified using taxonomic keys. A total of 1386 mosquitoes were collected, with the dominant species being Culex quinquefasciatus (65.10%). The specimens collected from processed water (84.06%) were significantly higher compared to those collected from well water (15.94%) (p=0.003). The oviposition behavior of mosquitoes in aquatic habitats was completely selective based on the amount of organic matter present. The most attractive colors for mosquito oviposition were black and blue. Fig trees showed an attractant property for the oviposition of almost all mosquitoes, while medlar trees had a deterrent effect. Among all studied species, Culex perexiguus and Culex antennatus displayed completely different behavior compared to others. In conclusion, the preferred colors for mosquito oviposition (black and blue) can be used as an oviposition stimulant for almost all species and can be incorporated as the background color of ovitraps. Furthermore, colors that exhibit repellent properties can also be used as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly behavioral control tool for painting artificial mosquito oviposition sites.