{ "abstract": "Background: Malaria remains a major global health threat, and effective vector surveillance is essential for timely vector control. However, surveillance systems are challenged by behavioral shifts in Anopheles mosquitoes, labor-intensive procedures, and delays in real-time data transmission. Existing electronic monitoring tools often suffer from low sensitivity and specificity, creating an urgent need for automated, high-precision alternatives. Methods: We developed the “Black Box,” a 3D-printed, internet-enabled device integrating multispectral light, thermal simulation, chemical attractants, and photocatalytic materials with automated counting and wireless data transmission. Laboratory trials demonstrated trapping rates of 94.00%–95.00% for Anopheles sinensis, An. stephensi, and An. anthropophagus, with data consistency exceeding 97.00%. Semi-field tests yielded trapping rates of 73.60%–90.80% and consistency above 92.00%. In field deployments, the device captured 5,109 mosquitoes with a 94.17% consistency rate and captured more Anopheles than the light trap during the field observation period. Real-time data revealed distinct bimodal activity peaks at dawn and dusk. Among the 112 field-captured female An. sinensis, 21 (18.75%; exact 95% CI, 12.60%-26.97%) were blood-fed, indicating that blood-fed mosquitoes may occur in outdoor collections. Conclusions: The Black Box provides a highly efficient, automated solution for real-time malaria vector surveillance. By delivering accurate, timely ecological data, it supports dynamic risk assessment and enables targeted interventions, addressing key limitations of current control programs. Author summary: Monitoring malaria-vector mosquitoes is essential for directing control measures, but commonly used methods require substantial field labor, may expose collectors to mosquito bites, and often delay the availability of surveillance data. We developed the Black Box, an internet-connected mosquito trap that combines light, heat, chemical attractants, photocatalytic material, automated counting, and wireless data transmission. We evaluated the device under laboratory, semi-field, and field conditions. It captured three major malaria-vector species efficiently in controlled experiments and maintained close agreement between physical mosquito counts and records transmitted to the cloud platform. During field deployment, the device continuously recorded mosquito activity and revealed higher activity at night and peaks around dawn and dusk. These data show that an automated system can provide timely information on mosquito abundance and activity while reducing dependence on repeated manual counting. The current device cannot identify individual Anopheles species automatically, so captured mosquitoes still require morphological examination. Further development and testing across seasons and regions will be needed before species-level automated identification and wider operational use can be established.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China", "Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hainan Academy of Medical Sciences, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China", "Chongqing Wanzhou District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, China", "Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Joe C Wen School of Population and Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 11, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Chenyu Han" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Yiquan Cai" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Huijuan Yang" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Yiji Li" }, { "name": "Xuejian Zhang" }, { "name": "Xiaoming Wang" }, { "name": "Yixuan Duan" }, { "name": "Hanren Liu" }, { "name": "Lei Zuo" }, { "name": "Guiyun Yan" }, { "name": "Xiao-Guang Chen" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mfmrmge82rft.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778", "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778", "id": "4mfmrmge82rft", "issns": [ "1935-2735" ], "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778", "language": null, "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "journal", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "openalex", "2739|Malaria Research and Control" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Animal anatomy/Animal wings" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Life cycles/Larvae" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes/Anopheles gambiae" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Protozoans/Parasitic protozoans/Malarial parasites" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Species interactions/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Species interactions/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes/Anopheles gambiae" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal anatomy/Animal wings" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Mosquitoes/Anopheles gambiae" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Mosquitoes/Anopheles gambiae" ], [ "plos", "/Engineering and technology/Equipment/Measurement equipment" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Animal anatomy/Animal wings" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Disease vectors/Insect vectors/Mosquitoes/Anopheles gambiae" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Parasitic diseases/Malaria" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Tropical diseases/Malaria" ], [ "plos", "/Physical sciences/Physics/Electromagnetic radiation/Light" ] ], "openalex": "W7221160129", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778&type=printable", "pmcid": null, "pmid": null, "published": "2026-10-09", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mfmrmge82rft.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778", "source": "plos", "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014778" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:zoology", "subfield": "zoology-behaviour" } ], "title": "Development and effectiveness test of an internet-based real-time monitoring device for malaria parasite vector mosquitoes", "title_text": "Development and effectiveness test of an internet-based real-time monitoring device for malaria parasite vector mosquitoes", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mfmrmge82rft", "venue": "PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases", "versions": [] }