The eggs of A. stephensi and A. aegypti were collected from (over head tanks/mud path) different breeding habitats in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, using an “O”-type brush. These eggs were brought to the laboratory and transferred to 18 × 13 × 4 cm enamel trays containing 500 mL of water for hatching. The mosquito larvae were pedigree dog biscuits and yeast at 3:1 ratio. The feeding was continued until the larvae transformed into the pupal stage. The pupae were collected from the culture trays and transferred to plastic containers (12 × 12 cm) containing 500 mL of water with the help of a dipper. The plastic jars were kept in a 90 × 90 × 90-cm mosquito cage for adult emergence. Mosquito larvae were maintained at 27 + 2 °C, 75–85 % relative humidity, and under a photoperiod of 14:10 (light/dark). A 10 % sugar solution was provided for a period of 3 days before blood feeding. The adult female mosquitoes were allowed to feed on the blood of a rabbit (a rabbit per day, exposed on the dorsal side) for 2 days, to ensure adequate blood feeding for 5 days. After blood feeding, enamel trays with water from the culture trays were placed in the cage as oviposition substrates.