Discovery of a naturally-occurring ecological trap and implementation for attract-and-kill mosquito control

Habitat attractiveness and quality for container-breeding mosquitoes is mediated in large part by terrestrial plant-based detritus, an important energy source for the aquatic larval stage. If there is a mismatch between the attractiveness of a habitat and its quality, an "ecological trap" may occur wherein the oviposition rate is high while the emergence rate is low. Despite the common occurrence of such traps in nature and a history of successful attract-and-kill control of forest and agricultural insect pests, ecological traps are seldom exploited for the control of medically important insects. Our study investigated the application of a naturally-occurring ecological trap (blackberry leaves, Rubus allegheniensis, Rosales: Rosaceae) and an artificial trap (Amur honeysuckle leaves, Lonicera maackii, Dipsacales: Caprifoliaceae, mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis larvicide) for the control of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), the primary vector of  West Nile virus in the northern half of the United Sates. Laboratory bioassays demonstrated that the abundance, diversity, and composition of the bacterial and fungal communities associated with leaves of both shrub species may contribute to the attractiveness and quality of these habitats. A field implementation of these results indicated that natural and artificial traps alter mosquito production in roadside storm water catch basins. Our findings may contribute to the discovery of a novel, cheap, and effective vector control method with minimal non-target effects and reduced potential to select for insecticide resistance.