Gas Station Windshield Wash Basins: Yet Another Habitat for Mosquito Larvae
Michael Reiskind, Ph.D., found inspiration for entomological research at a gas station. “Several years ago, I noticed an Aedes albopictus adult resting on the water in a windshield wash basin […]
Could a Null-Hypothesis Model Bring Greater Clarity to Forensic Entomology?
In its popular understanding, forensic entomology is the field of science that uses certain insects’ affinity for decomposition as a tool in death investigations. It is, of course, not as […]
CDC Study Sheds Light on New Lyme Disease-Causing Bacteria
A new species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease needs the same amount of time for transmission after a tick bite compared to previously implicated bacteria, according to new research […]
CDC Releases New Data Showing Gaps Remain in Surveillance for Mosquitoes That Transmit Zika
As concerns over Zika virus have grown since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has turned to local public health professionals to compile data on distribution […]
Neighborhood Watch: How Asian Tiger Mosquito Habitat Varies From Block to Block in an Urban Setting
By Meredith Swett Walker A neighborhood watch generally keeps an eye out for potential burglars and vandals, reporting them to local law enforcement when spotted. But if you want to […]
First Report of Dwarf Deer Tick Comes as Overall Population Soars
By Leslie Mertz If you have ever found a deer tick crawling on your shirt or sock, you know how difficult they can be to spot. Adult females are about […]
Researchers Develop Improved Lab-Testing System for Mosquito Repellents
By Edward Ricciuti Among the processes by which researchers gauge the effectiveness of a mosquito repellent is one that depends on convincing a volunteer to shove an arm treated with […]
Study Finds Native North American Mosquito Can Transmit Zika
By Josh Lancette A new study from researchers at the University of North Dakota found that Aedes vexans, a mosquito species indigenous to North America, has the capability to transmit […]
Traces of Zika Found in Asian Tiger Mosquito in Brazil
In a recent test of Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) collected in Brazil, researchers found fragments of Zika virus RNA, raising concerns that it may be carried by species other […]
Mosquito Egg Hunt: Many Culex Species Prefer Alternatives to Standing Water
The conventional wisdom about where many Culex mosquitoes lay their eggs—in standing water—is not always wise. Research into the diverse subgenus Melanoconion shows that many, if not most, mosquito species […]
Cimicid Remains Found in Oregon Caves are Oldest Ever Found
A cave in southern Oregon that is the site of some the oldest preserved evidence of human activity in North America was also once home to not-too-distant cousins of the […]
House Fly Death by Artificial Sweetener: Starvation, Not Toxicity
While recent headlines have noted the potential insecticidal properties of common artificial sweeteners, don’t go sprinkling Truvia around your home just yet. A new study on house flies suggests they […]
Fossilized Tick Carrying Pathogens in Mammalian Blood Cells Discovered in 15-Million-Year-Old Amber
Ticks have been pathogen-carrying parasites for a very, very long time. A new discovery in a specimen of fossilized amber, roughly 15 million to 20 million years old, reveals a […]
Tick Tock: Fat Reserves in Blacklegged Ticks Provide a Life-Expectancy Clock
The winter of 2011-2012 was a mild one in the New York City area, and the following summer saw the lowest population density of nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in […]
Ticks: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Dab Their Animal Hosts With Insecticide
An emerging tool in the fight against tick-borne disease, host-targeted bait boxes employ a sneaky trick: turning some of ticks’ favorite carriers —small mammals like mice and chipmunks —against them. […]
A Chance Encounter: The Case of a Western Conifer-Seed Bug Biting a Human
Bed bugs, mosquitoes, ticks—and the western conifer-seed bug? Well, if you’re making a list of insects that have been recorded having bitten a human at least once, ever, then yes. […]