In mosquito surveillance, an ovitrap is primarily used to collect what?

• A. Eggs
• B. Larvae
• C. Pupae
• D. Adults

Answer: (A)

Ovitraps focus on sampling eggs laid by gravid female mosquitoes. They mimic a potential breeding site and provide a surface (like a paper strip) for females to lay their eggs. By counting the eggs collected in these traps, researchers gauge oviposition activity and infer the presence and relative abundance of container-breeding species over time. This method targets the initial life stage in the breeding cycle, which is different from harvesting larvae or pupae from water bodies or capturing adult mosquitoes with other traps.