Brett (1938) established the presence of color preference in Ae.
aegypti by exposing mosquitoes to different colored cloths. Using
daylight through a window as the light source, Brett counted the
number of Ae. aegypti alighting on cloths stretched over a hand-
enclosing box in a three-minute period. Each trial used either black
or white as a standard and presented an equal area of the test color
and the standard. Although the order of attractiveness for different
colors was not the same when compared to black vs. white, the general
order which emerged was black (most attractive); red (very
attractive); grey and blue (neutral), khaki, green, light khaki, and
yellow (less attractive). Howlett (1910) stated that mosquitoes are
attracted to black and to dark colors. Gjullin (1947) counted Aedes
mosquitoes landing on the back of different shirts worn by one man.
The order of attractancy was black, blue, red, tan, green, yellow,
and white. Aedes lateralis, a dark mosquito, could be using the dark
material as protective coloration, but since Aedes dorsalis, a gray
mosquito, is also attracted to black the most, dark colors are most
likely attractive to mosquitoes during host-seeking, not as
camouflage.
Brett (1938) also measured the reflection factors for the colors used
to ensure that mosquitoes were responding to colors and not to the
amount of light reflected. He found that brown was significantly more
attractive than blue, though both had nearly the same reflection
factor. Finally, Brett looked at trichromatic coefficients of the
colors (amount of red/green/blue) separately, finding a positive
attraction to the red component, negative correlation between the
green component (combined with reflection factor) and number of
mosquitoes landing, and no significant correlation with the blue
component.
Light transmitted through Kodak filters was more attractive to Coq.
perturbans when infrared cutoff filters were used (Brown & Bennett
1981). When the IR cutoff filters were not used, i.e., the
transmitted light included infrared wavelengths, Coq. perturbans
showed a preference for shorter wavelengths.
Brown & Bennett (1981) studied the attractancy of reflected and
transmitted light and the attractancy of geometric shapes. They
concurred with Brett (1938) that black was the most attractive color,
followed by red or blue, followed by yellow or white. In their
geometric shapes study, they found a 6:1 black:white attractancy
ratio. There were some differences in the order of attractancy of
colors among species (Ae. cantator, Ae. punctor, and Coq.
perturbans ) but black was always most attractive. Muir et al.
(1992b) found the order of color attractancy for Ae. aegypti to be
black, red > white, yellow and blue.
for more info:
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/dept/research/vandyk/hostseek.html
My use of white was not based on research it was based on blood
donation in very high bug areas. Research does seem to support my
choice.
Rich Peet
--- In Walter Knapp <>
wrote:
> Klas Strandberg wrote:
> > The fur I used was light grey...??=20
> >
> > Klas.
> >
> > At 09:58 2003-07-22 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >>NatureRecordists,
> >>
> >>Rich Peet makes an excellent point: lighter colored windscreens
draw fewer
> >>flying insects than dark ones.
>
> I've used windscreen fur from near white to dark gray and dark
brown.
> And some of my other windscreens (like Crown's one for the SASS)
are
> pure black. No difference here in Georgia as to attracting insects.
In
> fact none of the fur I use seems to have any insect attracting
properties.
>
> The Telinga windcover made by Rycote that I have is a very dark
gray. It
> does not attract insects, though I do have some problems with the
noise
> of insects hitting the dish from behind when it's on. With it off,
> insects hit the dish from both sides.
>
> Maybe anyone having trouble with fur attracting insects should
consider
> laundering the windscreen. Odors are big attractants for a lot of
insects.
>
> Walt
>
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