Species-Specific Color Preferences During Foraging in Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus Across Varying Light Conditions

Mosquitoes are key vectors of numerous infectious diseases, making the study of their behavior essential for effective control strategies. This study investigates the color preferences of <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, and <i>Culex quinquefasciatus</i> during foraging, using an ink-based staining method to assess feeding behavior under varying light intensities (0, 130 and 1600 lx). At 0 lx, no consistent visual preferences emerged, confirming reliance on olfactory cues only. Under dusk-like illumination (130 lx), diurnal <i>Aedes</i> exhibited a tendency to approach red stimuli (probably perceived as grey) over darker targets, with <i>Ae. albopictus</i> females and males showing significant preference for red over green responses, indicating early salience of red contrasts. At high illumination (1600 lx), <i>Aedes</i> shifted preference toward black, especially in males, reflecting dominance of achromatic contrast and camouflage considerations. In contrast, crepuscular <i>Cx. quinquefasciatus</i> showed strong attraction to black at dusk-like light in both sexes; at high illumination, females' preferences shifted from black to red, whereas males maintained or reverted to black preference across assays. These divergent patterns align with differences in photoreceptor sensitivity, contrast processing, and ecological niches governing host- and swarm-seeking. Identifying how dusk-like versus bright light modulates color-driven behavior provides insights for designing trap colors and illumination regimes optimized for specific mosquito species and sexes, thereby enhancing targeted vector-control strategies.