~ 11 ~ International Journal of Mosquito Research 2020; 7(2): 11-15 ISSN: 2348-5906 CODEN: IJMRK2 IJMR 2020; 7(2): 11-15 www.dipterajournal.com © 2020 IJMR Received: 05-01-2020 Accepted: 10-02-2020 Grace Marin Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India Berlin Mahiba Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India Subramanian Arivoli Department of Zoology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Samuel Tennyson Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Corresponding Author: Dr. Samuel Tennyson Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Does colour of ovitrap influence the ovipositional preference of Aedes aegypti Linnaeus 1762 (Diptera: Culicidae) Grace Marin, Berlin Mahiba, Subramanian Arivoli and Samuel Tennyson Abstract Oviposition traps or ovitraps indirectly estimate the vector population as it as a simple, inexpensive and sensitive tool for monitoring oviposition and vector indices. In the present study, ovitraps painted with five colours (red, black, green, blue and orange) were used to find out the effect of different colours on the oviposition response of Aedes aegypti females. An organic infusion of 50% rubber leaves concentration was used as oviposition attractant. The mean number of eggs oviposited in red, black, green, blue and orange coloured ovitraps were found to be 72.0 ±7.1, 105.8 ±12.9, 51.2 ±6.9, 45.8 ±16.3 and 33.7 ±10.7 respectively and it was observed that Aedes aegypti females oviposited maximum number of eggs in the black ovitrap followed by red. The present study revealed that the colour of ovitraps played a vital role in attracting the ovipositing females of Aedes aegypti and due attention can be given while considering the colour of the ovitraps, and attractants to be used for different objectives of further investigations as continued laboratory and field investigations need to be conducted to better understand the ovipositional behavior of mosquitoes in their natural habitat. Keywords: Ovitraps, colour, oviposition, Aedes aegypti 1. Introduction Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease of human is caused Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes which are the known vectors [1, 2] . Rapid responses to dengue outbreaks are needed in order to control the spread of the virus as prevention of dengue fever and its more severe forms is of primary importance in the absence of vaccines [3] . Currently, vector control remains the key strategy in dengue prevention and control [4] , as it reduces or interrupts the dengue virus transmission. One of the strategies in vector control is mosquito surveillance [5] . The life cycle of mosquito is disturbed if oviposition is prevented and thereby, population growth can be reduced. Hence, understanding the oviposition behaviour of mosquitoes may not only give a new insight about their life history, but also lead to more refined dengue surveillance and control practices. Aedes aegypti are container breeders in varying degrees of water. Several tools and methods have been designed for vector surveillance to establish the minimum threshold of vector density (vector indices). The use of oviposition traps or ovitraps is a possibility to indirectly estimate the vector population and this technique is recognized by WHO as it can attract female Aedes to oviposit [6, 7] . Ovitraps are used as a surveillance or monitoring tool in the field [8] . Lenhart et al. [7] recommended the ovitrap as a simple, inexpensive and sensitive tool for both monitoring oviposition and collecting large quantities of Aedes aegypti eggs. Thus, simplicity, specificity and effectivity of ovitraps are proven advantages of this technique as a surveillance tool [6] . The ovitrap technique has been also used to monitor Aedes aegypti pre and post treatment density counts [9] and has been used to identify areas with high concentrations of vector breeding based on egg density index [10] from unexposed breeding sites and surrounding areas [11] . Extrinsic environmental factors limiting oviposition behaviour is controlled by a complex of responses, such as water, surface area, water depth, temperature and light intensity. Places where people store water for a longer period in different colour containers generally support and enhance the mosquito breeding and the colour of the container may play an important role in container choice among gravid females. Keeping in view of this aspect, the present study was planned and since ovitraps in the recent years, have been considered for the surveillance of Aedes mosquitoes, as an