Distribution of Larval Habitats and Efficiency of Various Trap Settings for Sympatric Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in La Reunion

To prepare a boosted sterile insect technique (SIT) field trial in Saint-Joseph, Reunion island, we compared the attractiveness of two adult traps for Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. In addition, we explored the co-occurrence of these species in their usual larval habitats. Two traps were compared with two conditions each using Latin square design: BG Sentinel trap baited with carbon dioxide (CO2) with/without addition of BG Lure and ovi-sticky trap with/without hay. Ovi-sticky were inefficient. In both Aedes species, CO2-baited traps were equally effective for catching females when baited or not with the lure. In contrast, they were more attractive for males than for females with the lure. Aedes aegypti larvae were found in 4 of 6 vacoas (Pandanus utilis), and 1 of 4 anthropic breeding sites. In vacoas, the densities of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti larvae were negatively correlated, whereas the correlation was positive between chironomids and Aedes aegypti. The abundance of adults and larvae varied with weather conditions. Finally, CO2-baited traps will be used without lure for the entomological monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the area-wide boosted SIT intervention, to reduce costs and logistics.