Tag: common malaria mosquito

Closeup of a mosquito on a human finger, in the process of obtaining a blood meal through the skin of its human host. The mosquito is medium brown in color with golden iridescent hues in some of its hairs. Its eyes are dark green.

Mosquito Hearing Could Be New Target for Mating Disruption, Study Shows

A key step in mosquito mating is auditory: Male mosquitoes detect the precise buzz of a female nearby, often in the midst of large swarms of other mosquitoes. A new study identifies a specific neurotransmitter chemical, octopamine, linked to mosquito hearing, suggesting that targeting it with insecticide could be a new potential avenue for mosquito management.

Entomology Today August 23, 2023 Leave a Comment

Plant Pollen May Be Important Food Source for Some Mosquitoes in U.S.

Larvae of the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) fared well in a new study when fed a diet of corn or pine pollen. The findings suggest corn pollen could help the species— key vector of West Nile virus in the U.S.—thrive in habitats near agricultural areas.