Evaluating Experimental Design to Sample Mosquitoes

Mosquito study is crucial for public health, research, and vector control. We evaluated four understudiedaspects of experimental design: (i) global efficiency of trapping devices - BG-Sentinel (BG) vs. CDC lighttraps (LT)), (ii) temporal efficiency over a three-day sampling period, (iii) the impact of sampling durationon vector presence and abundance assessments, and (iv) site visit frequency for biodiversity surveys. Bothtraps were deployed across 10 Cambodian provinces, with collections conducted every 24 hours over three-dayperiods from 2019 to 2021. A total of 1,992 collections yielded 181,798 mosquitoes spanning 153 identifiedspecies. Using a hurdle generalized linear mixed model to address overdispersion and zero inflation, we foundthat trap type significantly influenced 21 of 54 studied species: LT captured 15 species more efficiently, while6 species preferred BG. Anthropophilic vectors such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were moreattracted to BG, whereas LT captured higher species richness and zoophilic vectors. Capture efficiencydeclined over time for 6 of 13 primary vector species. However, annual trends in presence and abundanceremained consistent regardless of whether sampling lasted one, two, or three days. Finally, we quantifiedthe probability of collecting a new species during subsequent missions, showing that this probability declineswith visit sampling effort at rates dependent on trap type and sampling days duration. These findingsprovide empirical guidelines for optimizing mosquito surveillance strategies based on study objectives.