zzzapp

The zzzapp app was developed with the idea of ​​simplifying citizen participation in mosquito monitoring and control projects for human diseases, such as the STOPTIGRE project (https://stoptigre.evosexdevo.eu/). Thanks to this app, participating citizens can contribute to the study of tiger mosquito infesting populations through the use of trapping devices such as ovitraps and gravity traps. The ovitrappola is a dark plastic container with water and a sheet of germination paper inside. Tiger mosquitoes are attracted to this type of egg-laying container. These eggs will be deposited on the internal walls of the ovitraps where the sheet of paper has been placed. Replacing the leaflet every week prevents the development of new mosquitoes and at the same time, by counting the eggs laid on the leaflet, the density of the tiger mosquito population in the area where the trap has been placed can be estimated. The grav trap is instead a more complex device designed to capture adult mosquitoes which, attracted by the water inside it, enter the internal chamber of the grav trap and remain trapped on an adhesive sheet. Photos of slips of paper or stickers can be submitted via zzzapp and are a valuable source of data for researchers. From the detailed knowledge of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the tiger mosquito population it will be possible to plan the subsequent releases of sterile males for the eco-sustainable fight against this vector insect.