Evaluation of Methods to Collect Diurnal Culicidae (Diptera) at Canopy and Ground Strata, in the Atlantic Forest Biome

Simple Summary: Automatic traps employing CO2 chemical attractants and BG-Lure (R) (Biogents AG, Regensburg, Germany) were evaluated as an alternative to insect nets, which is the standard method in Brazil for capturing mosquitoes that transmit sylvatic arboviruses. The collections were conducted during the day, in the forest canopy and ground strata, at an environmental reserve in the Atlantic Forest. From the 18 collections conducted, 3570 specimens from 52 taxa were obtained. Nets were the best way to capture insects. The yield was similar in traps with CO2 and traps using CO2 combined with BG-Lure (R). CO2 traps can complement collections with nets; however, for species of epidemiological interest in the genera Haemagogus and Sabethes, insect nets are still the best method, especially in the canopy. Hand-held insect nets are the standard method for capturing vector mosquitoes of sylvatic arboviruses; however, occupational risks and biases due to individual skill and attractiveness are important limitations. The use of chemical attractants and automatic traps could be an alternative to resolve these limitations. This study compares the yields achieved using nets with those employing electrical traps with CO2 and BG-Lure (R), near the ground and in the canopy strata (6.0 and 8.0 m high). The study was conducted at the Cantareira State Park, which is in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. In the 18 collections performed, 3570 specimens of 52 taxa were obtained. The most frequent species captured near the ground were Wyeomyia confusa and Limatus durhamii, whereas Sabethes albiprivus, Sabethes purpureus, and Haemagogus leucocelaenus were the most frequent in the canopy. The nets resulted in greater species richness and abundance, followed by the trap employing CO2. The combination of CO2 traps with BG-Lure (R) did not improve performance. The use of BG-Lure (R) alone resulted in low abundance and a low number of species. Our results demonstrate that the use of traps with CO2 can be complementary to collections with nets; however, for species of epidemiological interest such as those of the genera Haemagogus and Sabethes, especially in the canopy, the net remains the method of choice.