Notes From Puerto Rico: Quakes Increase Risk for Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreak
Grayson Brown, Ph.D., executive director of the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit and a past president of the Entomological Society of America, reports that conditions in Puerto Rico are ripe for a potential dengue outbreak, as recent earthquakes have driven residents out of their homes, increasing their exposure to mosquitoes. The PRVCU is working with ESA and other organizations to quickly procure approximately 5,000 bed nets to help protect residents from mosquitoes.
“Natural” Oil Mosquito Repellents May Fend Off Mosquitoes—Briefly
A recent Journal of Medical Entomology study investigates the ability of essential oils to repel mosquitoes.
Electropenetrography Helps Researcher Break Down Mosquito Bites
A recent study used electropenetrography to quantify mosquito feeding behavior. The study’s lead author sees great potential for other insect scientists to apply this method in their own work.
Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Release Shows Encouraging Results
A pilot program in a 150-acre zone in Miami in 2018 released as many as 375,000 Wolbachia-infected male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes per week for six months and succeeded in reducing the female Ae. aegypti population by more than 75 percent.
Edible Plant Oils Show Potential for Management of Aedes aegypti
A new study finds several edible plant oils—such as hempseed, sesame, and pumpkinseed oils—have potential utility as eco-friendly larvicides or egg-laying deterrents against the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Trap Modifications Collect Mosquito Waste for Virus Detection
Public health officials could soon be able to detect viruses in mosquitoes in the wild much more quickly and easily—thanks to the insect equivalent of a urine test. A new study in Australia shows that two kinds of commonly used mosquito traps can be readily modified to collect mosquito excreta, or liquid waste droplets, to be tested for signs of viruses.
Citywide Mosquito Management Effort in Puerto Rico During Zika Outbreak Offers Lessons for Future
An integrated vector management program is no small undertaking, but a program run in Caguas City, Puerto Rico, during the Zika outbreak of 2016 shows such an effort can be successful at the scale of a city of more than 140,000 people.
Satyrization is No Laughing Matter for Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, But Pickiness Has a Price
When their ranges overlap, two invasive mosquito species mate but produce no offspring, in an event known as satyrization. They can evolve quickly to learn to avoid each other, but that choosiness may cost the mosquitoes in other ways.
The Hole Story: How Mosquitoes Seek Out Gaps in Nets or Screens
A new study suggests mosquitoes actually aren't all that good at finding holes in netting, doing so mostly by chance.
Need to Mail Mosquitoes? Pack Them Up Nice and Snug
Several emerging mosquito-management methods require the transport of mosquitoes to precise locations. There, lab-reared mosquitoes—for instance, sterilized males—mix with wild mosquitoes and hinder the population's ability to reproduce or transmit disease. But, getting mosquitoes from lab to wild presents logistical challenges. A team led by researchers at New Mexico State University are tackling this problem and have made a surprising discovery about just how tightly live mosquitoes can be packed up.
Study of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Finds No Evidence of Natural Wolbachia Infection
A new study of genetic samples from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from around the world finds no evidence of naturally occurring infection with Wolbachia bacteria, a positive sign for efforts that artificially introduce Wolbachia to mosquito populations to reduce their numbers or interrupt their ability to transmit disease-causing pathogens.
Flower Pots in Southwestern U.S. a Common Breeding Site for Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
The Aedes aegypti mosquito typically prefers humid climates, but it has gained a foothold in the arid southwestern U.S. by using manmade containers for breeding sites—in particular, flower pots and the saucers underneath them.
Fertilizer Runoff is a Boon to Mosquito Growth
A new study shows that fertilizer present in water where mosquitoes breed can boost growth of bacteria, algae, and fungi, which mosquito larvae feed on, resulting in accelerated larval development and greater survival rates to adulthood.
Another Step Forward in Genetic Engineering of Mosquitoes
The disruption of mosquitoes' cuticle, wing, and eye development is “proof of concept" for a new advance in the genetic engineering method known as CRISPR/Cas9.
Three-Quarters of U.S. Has Suitable Climate for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes
Three-quarters of counties in the contiguous United States present suitable environmental conditions for at least part of the year for either Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to survive if introduced, according to researchers […]
Faster ID of Mosquito Species Possible via CDC Improvements to DNA Testing Methods
A crucial step in management of mosquito-borne diseases is knowing exactly what kind of mosquitoes are present in any given locale. Are they garden-variety species that aren’t carriers of human […]