Data from: Comparative assessment of a novel fan box trap for collecting Anopheles farauti and culicine mosquitoes alive in tropical north Queensland, Australia

<p>During preliminary mosquito surveys at Cowley Beach Training Area in north Queensland, Australia, it was found that the utility of the standard encephalitis virus surveillance (EVS) trap for collecting the malaria vector <em>Anopheles farauti</em> (Laveran) adults was compromised by the harsh tropical conditions. With the aim of increasing the survival rate of mosquitoes, we designed a downdraft fan box trap (FBT) that incorporated a screened fan at the bottom of the trap, so mosquitoes did not have to pass through a fan. The FBT was tested against the EVS and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps, where mosquitoes do pass through a fan, and a nonpowered passive box trap (PBT). We conducted four trials to compare the quantity and survival of <em>An. farauti</em> and culicine mosquitoes were collected in these traps. Although not significant, the FBT collected more <em>An</em>. <em>farauti</em> than the EVS trap and PBT and significantly less <em>An. farauti</em> than the CDC light trap. However, the FBT improved on the CDC light trap in terms of the survival of <em>An</em>. <em>farauti</em> adults collected, with a significantly higher percentage alive in the FBT (74.6%) than in the CDC light trap (27.5%). Thus, although the FBT did not collect as many anophelines as the CDC, it proved to be superior to current trap systems for collecting large numbers of live and relatively undamaged mosquitoes. Therefore, it is recommended that FBTs be used for collecting <em>An. farauti</em> adults in northern Australia, especially when high survival and sample quality are important.</p>