An equipment for the study of behavioural responses of mosquitoes to residual application of synthetic insecticides.

Excito-Repellency (E-R) Test Box was developed to study under laboratory conditions the refractory behaviour of mosquitoes to residual application of synthetic insecticides. The observations obtained through the equipment were compared with another behavioural study of mosquitoes using standard WHO irritability test kit. During 16 hour exposure period there was restricted entry of mosquitoes in DDT treated chamber of E-R test box for all mosquito species tested (Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus). Blood feeding success of An. stephensi was significantly low (20%) in DDT treated chamber as compared to untreated control chamber (77%). Of all the species tested in E-R test box, An. stephensi was found to be highly irritant to DDT inducing 80% exit rate as compared to that of 10% from control chamber. Similarly, results of irritability test demonstrated highest irritant behaviour of An. stephensi to DDT. The paper also includes a discussion on comparative efficacy of WHO irritability test kit and the present E-R Box.