Diel activity patterns of male Aedes albopictus in the laboratory

This study was conducted to investigate the flight and dispersal behavior of male Aedes albopictus under laboratory conditions. Two different methods, the Observer and Ethovision software devices, were used to determine the total duration, the mean and maximum flight speed, and the distance covered by these mosquitoes. During 24 h, mosquitoes were more active from 0800 to 1200 h and from 1700 to 2100 h than during the rest of the day. Male Ae. albopictus displayed different activities at different times. The flight activity was 47 min and 57 sec over 24 h. During this period, sugar-fed males flew an average distance of 236.20 m at an average speed of 8.5 cm/sec. The unfed males flew significantly faster than recently fed males, with maximum flight speeds of 44.9 cm/sec and 33.6 cm/sec, respectively. The time used for resting (22 h 2 min +/- 13 min) was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than walking and flying times (68 min +/- 10 sec and 49 min +/- 5 min, respectively). Overall, both methods allowed observations on flight activity, and the camera recordings allowed these activities to be quantified.