Evaluation of fruit juice preferences by <i>Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex</i> mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) species for the development of effective attractive toxic sugar baits

Mosquito-borne diseases pose significant public health challenges, necessitating the development of effective and sustainable vector control strategies. This study investigated the feeding preferences of 4 mosquito species (Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, Aedes albopictus Skuse, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say) for various fruit juices using a home-made choice chamber. We also assessed the impact of combining biogents lure and boric acid into attractive toxic sugar baits to enhance mosquito attraction and mortality. Choice assays revealed species-specific and sex-specific preferences. In choice assays, Aedes (Ae.) aegypti showed a preference for sweet corn juice (18.1 ± 4.0%), while Ae. albopictus preferred pumpkin juice (19.7 ± 6.0%). Female Ae. aegypti preferred sweet corn (20.2 ± 5.8%) while males preferred honey (19.8 ± 0.8%) most, but both male (22.5 ± 7.3%) and female (19.0 ± 6.8%) Ae. albopictus preferred the pumpkin most. In contrast, Cx. quinquefasciatus favored beetroot juice (17.1 ± 3.6%), and An. quadrimaculatus preferred beetroot (20.8 ± 17.4%) and peach juices (20.1 ± 9.7%). Olfactometer assays for female Ae. aegypti showed enhanced attractiveness with the addition of 3% biogents lure to beetroot juice (61.5 ± 6.5%) compared to beetroot juice (38.9 ± 6.5%) alone. Mortality bioassays confirmed the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits formulations containing biogents lure, boric acid, and fruit juices, achieving 86.7% to 100% mortality in all 4 mosquito species within 48 h. While these findings underscore the potential of combining natural and synthetic attractants for mosquito control; the study's laboratory setting and lack of field validation necessitate further research to ensure ecological safety and real-world applicability.