Colour cues for oviposition behaviour in Toxorhynchites moctezuma and Toxorhynchites amboinensis mosquitoes.

Gravid female Toxorhynchites moctezuma (Dyar and Knab) and Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Doleschall) were offered the choice of coloured (spray-painted) containers for oviposition in laboratory trials. Both species oviposited preferentially into black containers rather than into white, red, yellow, green, or blue containers. Black containers also acted as oviposition stimulants of Tx. moctezuma females, and black and red containers for Tx. amboinensis females. Absorption spectra were measured for the paints used, with red and black paints absorbing more light across most of the visible spectrum than the other colours.