Do it yourself: 3D-printed miniature CDC trap for adult mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) surveillance.

The central component of mosquito and vector surveillance programs globally is the adult mosquito trap, which is intended to collect host-seeking mosquitoes. The miniature CDC trap is a widely distributed trap style in part due to its relative affordability and compact nature. Despite already being a simple trap, in-house production methods, such as 3D printing, could improve the accessibility of the CDC trap by eliminating some of the supply chain variables. We present here several trials with the Salt Lake City (SLC) trap, a three-dimensional (3D) printed trap design. Functional assessments were made on secondary components and found no statistically significant differences when comparing CO₂ line height (above vs. below fan), battery types (sealed lead acid vs. USB battery pack), and trap body collection shape (funnel body vs. simple/straight body). The SLC trap was compared directly to a commercial equivalent, the ABC trap, with comparative assessment on species diversity and evenness in collections and found to be statistically equivalent on all metrics. Methods also detail an accompanying optional transport system for a pressurized CO₂/regulator set-up, should a practitioner elect not to use dry ice. Our final design is presented here with the publicly published stereolithography (STL) files and a detailed outline of the transport container system. Alternative models are available for in-house manufacture of mosquito traps, and we contribute these designs in an effort to stimulate further growth in vector surveillance. Author summary: Mosquitoes are among of the most commonly encountered public health pests when discussing zoonotic infectious diseases. Several specific tools exist to collect host-seeking mosquitoes from the field. The miniature CDC trap is a widely distributed, compact trap type that is best used when baited with carbon dioxide, such as through dry ice or pressurized gas. Even if the miniature CDC trap is among the more accessible variants of host-seeking mosquito traps, there can still be barriers to entry for small/local programs needing to trap, learn about, and make management decisions against their local mosquito species. To facilitate this, the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD) developed a blueprint for 3D printing your own mini-CDC trap and validated its use against commercial equivalents. If a 3D printer is already available through a nearby institution (University, research institute, WHO centers, etc.), then the total cost without the dry ice is ~$4 USD (at the time of writing) to print this trap, as compared to commercially supplied models being ~$200 USD or more. The SLCMAD will continue to improve on the design specifications to require fewer materials and design plans are available publicly without cost at ThingiVerse under the SLCMAD page. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]