National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2014

03. Development of a portable suction trap equipped with ultraviolet light emitting diodes for efficient collection of haematophagous Culicoides biting midges

Japanese

Culicoides biting midges are tiny haematophagous insects (1-3 mm long) that are involved in the transmission of several important pathogens in livestock and poultry. In general, suction light traps equipped with fluorescent and incandescent lamps for attracting insects are used for Culicoides collection. However, several disadvantages such as difficulty of miniaturization and high power consumption are associated with such traps. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) with their compact size and low-power consumption features could be a better substitute for insect attraction lamps in common use. Based on this premise, we developed an LED bait suction trap and tested LEDs of various wave lengths, ranging from 365 to 625 nm, to determine the ones most efficient for collection of biting midges. The developed trap weighs 900 g (without battery), consists of 8 LED elements, and can operate on battery power for over 20 h. It is, thus, highly portable and can be used in the absence of commercial power supply. It was determined that the ultraviolet (UV) LEDs were more effective baits for Culicoides biting midges than LEDs of other wavelengths. The newly developed trap described in this report will permit Culicoides surveillance under various conditions and will be helpful in estimating the risk of Culicoides-borne pathogens of veterinary importance.
(Subtropical Disease Research Division)

References:

Yanase, T. et al (2014) Jpn. J. Appl. Entomol. Zool. 58: 127-132 (in Japanese with English summary)

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