Response of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to carbon dioxide and octenol in Egypt.

Carbon dioxide and 1-octen-3-ol (octenol were evaluated individually, and in combination, as adult mosquito attractants at two sites in Qara, Matruh Governorate, Egypt. Four mosquito species were collected during the study: Aedes caspius, Anopheles multicolor, An. sergenti and Culex pipiens. Anopheles multicolor and Cx. pipiens were collected in insufficient numbers to allow statistical analysis. Significantly greater numbers of Ae. caspius and An sergenti were collected in CO2 and CO2 + octenol traps than octenol alone or the control at both locations (P < 0.05). Traps baited with octenol + CO2 resulted in greater capture of these two species at both locations; but results were not significant when compared with CO2 alone. There were no significant differences in number of mosquitoes collected between the octenol alone and control traps at both locations. At the release rate tested (0.5 mg/h at 21 degrees C), octenol was not an effective attractant for the mosquito species collected during the course of this study.