Submitted by the MVCAC VVBD Committee
KA Dagg and ER Burgess IV. 2026.
Getting wild-caught mosquitoes to lay eggs in a lab is often a challenge. A team of researchers at the University of Florida has developed a simple method to get two important mosquito species to readily lay eggs. The team developed oviposition chambers with four simple items: cotton, germination/filter paper, a 1.5 milliliter (mL) centrifuge tube, and tap water. A piece of cotton, moistened with tap water, was pushed to the bottom of the tube, a small strip of germination paper was placed over the cotton, and finally a small hole was punched through the top of the tube lid to provide air exchange. (published in Dagg et al. 2025, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases).
Note: Getting gravid females to oviposit by confinement either in small containers [as depicted here] or by removing the wings and placing them in Petri dishes on water has been done for years. However, this paper may serve as a reminder for those seeking to establish new colonies or doing experiments where progeny are needed from individual females.