Inexpensive and Reproducible 3D-Printed Mosquito Emergence Containers

The study of mosquito biology in a laboratory setting is an important first step in understanding the role of mosquitoes as vectors of pathogens and parasites. Although large-scale mosquito rearing technologies have progressed to support vector control initiatives, cheap and adaptable tools for small-scale laboratory experimentation remain relatively underdeveloped. In the present study, a modular emergence container was designed and fabricated using open-source computer-aided design software and a 3D printer. The emergence container enables precise monitoring of mosquito development from larval or pupal stages to adulthood. Two assays examining pupal-to-adult and larval-to-adult emergence were conducted using Aedes aegypti to validate container functionality. The emergence container effectively separated mosquitoes in immature stages from adults, with 78.2 ± 17.8% and 88 ± 5% (mean ± SD) emergence rates in the adult upper chamber when pupae and larvae were placed in the immature lower chamber, respectively. This 3D-printed emergence container serves as a low-cost, customizable, and reproducible tool for entomological research.