Implementation of Bamboo and Monkey-pot traps for the sampling cavity-breeding mosquitoes in Darién, Panama.

Despite the importance of Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes in the transmission of yellow fever virus (YFV) and the public health impacts of recent YFV epidemics in the Americas, relatively little has been reported on the biology and ecology of these vectors. Many Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes spp. in the American tropics inhabit and develop in the forest canopy and are difficult to sample with conventional entomological surveillance methods. We tested the utility of published (bamboo; Guadua angustifolia) and novel (monkey pot; Lecythis minor) phytotelmata-style traps for collecting immature forms of these mosquitoes in a forest near the community of Aruza Abajo, Darién Province, Panama. The distribution of mosquito species emerging from the two types of traps was found to be significantly different (X²=210.23; df=14; P<0.001), with significantly greater numbers of Sabethes (Peytonulus) aurescens (Lutz) and Sabethes (Peytonulus) undosus (Coquillett) emerging from the bamboo traps. More females of Sabethes (Sabethes) cyaneus (Fabricius) were captured in the monkey-pot traps, although the difference was not significant. No differences were observed in the average time to emergence for the two traps. These results suggest that a variety of phytotelmata-style traps (monkey pot & bamboo) can be used to monitor the presence of YFV vectors in the American tropics.