Attractiveness of botanical infusions to ovipositing Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. nigripalpus, and Cx. erraticus in San Antonio, Texas.

Field experiments were conducted on the Fort Sam Houston Military Reservation, San Antonio, TX, in fall 2008 to observe the attractiveness of selected botanical infusions to ovipositing female mosquitoes. The following infusions were tested in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gravid traps: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), oak leaf (Quercus virginiana), acacia leaf (Acacia schaffneri), rabbit chow (alfalfa pellets), and algae (Spirogyra sp.). Four (Bermuda, acacia, oak, and algae) of the 5 infusions were effective in collecting Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. nigripalpus, and Cx. erraticus. Of the 4 infusions, Bermuda collected the greatest number of the mosquitoes sampled. Female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were collected in moderate numbers during this study.