Field oviposition choice experiments
In order to examine if Ae. aegypti in the forest readily accept
artificial contains as larval breeding sites, we performed a preliminary
field experiment by placing artificial containers into the forest area.
The containers used in La Lopé included tires, plastic bottles, plastic
bags, bricks, and metal cans, while in Rabai, Kenya, we used plastic
buckets and earthenware pots. These containers were frequently found in
the villages. In addition, we added bamboo segments, as African
researchers have used them to collect forest mosquitoes (Kemp & Jupp,
1991), and bamboo plantations were sometimes found in villages. All
containers were left in the forest area for 7-14 days and filled by
either rainwater (in La Lope) or well water from the village (in Rabai).
After retrieving these containers, we examined the existence ofAe. aegypti as described above. As a control, we also placed a
similar set of experimental containers in the village (outdoor in La
Lopé and indoor in Rabai). For a subset of the experimental containers,
we applied the 16s-rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine their
bacterial community compositions.