A user friendly method to assess Anopheles stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae) vector fitness: fecundity

Fecundity, bloodmeal size, and survival are among the most important parameters in the overall fitness of mosquitoes. Impact of an intervention that affects fecundity can be assessed by directly counting the eggs laid by exposed mosquitoes, which is usually done manually. We have developed a macroinstruction, which can be used to count thousands of Anopheles stephensi Liston eggs in a few minutes, to provide an alternative and adaptable method to egg counting as a measure of fecundity. The macro was developed using a scanner and a computer running AxioVision Rel. 4.8 software, a freely accessible software compatible with Windows XP/7/Vista. Using this semiautomated method, it is possible to reduce time, avoid human error and bias, and obtain improved consistency in studies measuring mosquito fecundity.