The latest news about entomology, brought to you by the Entomological Society of America
By Edward Ricciuti Armchair scientists nimble enough to catch insect lightning in a jar have helped the professionals map distribution of invasive mosquitoes in Germany—and they even detected three previously unknown populations of Aedes japonicus japonicus, which spreads the West Nile virus. Described in a new paper in the Journal of Medical Entomology, the effort […]
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 at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two mosquito species can transmit viruses that cause Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The […]
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 pathogens, or are they potentially dangerous vectors such as Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus? Identifying and discerning between those two species is important as well, […]
By Andrew Porterfield For more than 50 years, the light trap—an incandescent light source attached to an insect collector—has been the standard for sampling potentially disease-carrying mosquitos. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other insect control agencies and organizations worldwide have used the light-bulb trap apparatus to attract and count a wide […]
By Leslie Mertz Step 1: Complain about how bad the mosquitoes are this year. Step 2: Purchase a can of bug spray to keep mosquitoes away. Step 3: Use it once and be disgusted by the greasy feel and weird smell. Step 4: Put the can in a closet, never to be used again. Step […]
