A Study of Methods of Sampling Mosquito Populations1, 2

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Abstract
A study of mosquito populations near Fort duPont, Delaware, in 1942 has revealed that none of the common methods of sampling mosquitoes is wholly adequate. New Jersey mosquito traps were operated (1) in the usual manner with a white light, (2) with both light and dry ice as attractants, (3) with CO2 alone and (4) with no at-tractant. Also, catches of mosquitoes attempting to bite, catches through sweeping, and collections from a cattle barn and nail kegs were obtained. A trap with no attractant seemed to give the best qualitative result, but it caught too few mosquitoes to be of value in itself. The New Jersey mosquito trap is not considered to catch a representative sample. Different spp. varied greatly in their reaction to the trap. Anopheles walkeri was caught 14 times as readily as was A. quadrimaculatus. Other spp. occupied intermediate positions. A method for correcting records obtained by New Jersey traps is presented. A possible effect of the relationship between the night light intensify and the trap light intensity was indicated in that more A. quadrimaculatus were caught on dark nights than on light ones. The activity of this species continued unabated 2 or more hrs. after that of many other spp. had greatly declined. Male mosquitoes were repelled by concs. of CO2.

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