Evaluation of mosquito gravid traps, light traps, and their attractants in agricultural habitats

In the summer of 2025, we set out to evaluate the efficacy of gravid traps and CDC light-traps within various habitats in the field. Our goal was to determine which traps may be effective in sylvatic and agricultural settings. These habitats were also selected to determine the presence of medically relevant mosquitoes that may pose a threat to agricultural workers, outdoor workers, and outdoor recreationalists in central Pennsylvania. Sites were located along cultivated field edges, near livestock pasture edges and pens, or along trails in public forests. We identified sites in Centre and Huntingdon counties in Pennsylvania, with four sites in each habitat for a total of twelve sites. Light traps were baited with dry ice to produce CO2and light, while gravid traps were baited with either an alfalfa cube or a horse manure infusion. Each site contained one light trap and two gravid traps, each with one of the infusions. Traps were placed between five and ten meters apart at each site and left for a period of approximately 24 hours to collect mosquitoes, with a total of seven trapping periods completed so far. Total mosquito abundance and diversity results are pending, but we have identified nuisance and vector species, including Aedes japonicus, Ae. triseriatus, Ae. vexans, Culex restuans, and Anopheles punctipennis from our traps in these habitats. This evaluation aims to help identify types of traps and corresponding attractants that can be used for mosquito surveillance in agricultural settings for vector and nuisance mosquitoes within Pennsylvania.