We analyzed nuclear (second internal transcribed spacer and white gene) and mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) data from Anopheles konderi collected in the Amazonian states of Acre, Amapá, and Rondônia and the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. This was the first record of An. konderi in the state of Paraná. We found a high degree of genetic divergence within the Amazonian region and support for An. konderi as a species complex, possibly consisting of 3 species.

Pupae of 2 western species, Ochlerotatus aloponotum and Oc. campestris, are described and illustrated. Sources of the original descriptions and known stages are given. The relation of Oc. aloponotum to Oc. excrucians and characters to separate them are discussed.

The bionomics of the mud lobster–hole mosquito Aedes (Geoskusea) baisasi in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, was studied in the field and in the laboratory. The studies included the natural habitat, seasonal appearance, flight activity, mating behavior, resistance of eggs to desiccation, and breeding periods of the immature stages of this species. The burrow systems made by the mud lobster Thalassina anomala were excellent as breeding and resting habitats for both the immature and adult stages of the mosquito.

Excito-repellency responses of 3 test populations, representing 2 sibling species within the Minimus Complex, Anopheles minimus and An. harrisoni, were characterized for contact irritant and noncontact repellent actions of chemicals during and after exposure to α-cypermethrin at half the recommended field (0.010 g/m²), the recommended field (0.020 g/m²), and double the recommended field concentration (0.040 g/m²), using an excito-repellency escape chamber system. Two field populations of An. minimus and An. harrisoni collected from the malaria-endemic areas in Tak and Kanchanuburi provinces in western Thailand, respectively, were tested along with a laboratory population of An. minimus maintained since 1993. Females of all 3 test populations rapidly escaped after direct contact with treated surfaces for each concentration. In general, increased escape responses in the An. minimus test populations were proportionate to increased insecticide dosages. The greatest escape response for An. harrisoni was observed at the operational field concentration of α-cypermethrin. The noncontact repellency response to α-cypermethrin was comparatively weak for all 3 test populations, but significantly different from each paired contact test and respective noncontact controls. We conclude that strong contact irritancy is a major action of α-cypermethrin, whereas noncontact repellency plays no role in the escape responses of 2 species in the Minimus Complex in Thailand.

In mass rearing of anopheline mosquitoes, pupae are usually separated from larvae on a daily basis to prevent unwanted adult emergence from trays. Depending on the device and species, 2 physical characteristics have most often been used for separation: buoyant density and size. In this report, we describe a system for continuous separation of Anopheles arabiensis larvae from pupae based on the natural difference in buoyant density and behavior between the 2 stages. We determined that temperatures 4–15°C caused neither mortality nor reduction in likelihood of pupation or emergence. Separation improved as temperatures decreased down to 4°C. We devised and demonstrated a 15°C water vortex separator that we anticipate can process approximately 1 million larvae and pupae per hour with a <0.3% pupal contamination rate and which operates unattended.

We used published accounts to describe the known statewide distribution of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, in New Jersey and field surveys to characterize the geographical range of A. americanum and selected A. americanum–transmitted pathogens in Monmouth County, the hypothesized northern limit of the species distribution. Ticks were collected using standardized methods from 50 widely dispersed public access areas within 18 municipalities to produce estimates of relative abundance among sites. Collected A. americanum adults were stored at −80°C until processed for DNA extraction. Individual ticks were subjected to polymerase chain reaction analyses to detect the presence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, E. ewingii, Rickettsia amblyommii, and Borrelia lonestari. The range of A. americanum was generally limited to the southern half of New Jersey. Within Monmouth County, we collected A. americanum from 9 of 18 municipalities (50%) and 24 (48%) of the surveyed properties. We found at least 1 pathogen at 17 (70.8%) sites located within 6 of 9 municipalities, while all 4 target pathogens were detected in 5 of those 6 (83.3%) municipalities. The geographical distribution of A. americanum and its associated pathogens appeared to be restricted to the southern portion of the county. Possible factors governing the distribution are discussed.

We sought to visually enhance the attractiveness of a standard black ovitrap routinely used in surveillance of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and now being used as lethal ovitraps in Ae. aegypti dengue control programs. Black plastic drinking cups (ovitraps) were visually altered to offer field populations of gravid female Ae. albopictus 6 different oviposition site choices. Trials were conducted at 3 field locations in Gainesville, Orange Park, and Jacksonville, FL, during July–August 2009. A black glossy cup served as the control and was tested against 5 cup choices consisting of white, blue, orange, or black-and-white contrasting patterns (checkered or vertically striped). Means (SE) of eggs collected over 6 wk for each choice were: black 122.53 (9.63) > blue 116.74 (10.74) > checkered 101.84 (9.53) > orange 97.15 (7.95) > striped 84.62 (8.17) > white 81.84 (8.74). Black ovitraps outperformed competing colored and contrasting patterned ovicups with respect to choice from gravid Ae. albopictus seeking artificial oviposition sites.

The effectiveness of several commercially available products containing plant essential oils against caged female Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus was studied. Products operationally applied via an automatic-timed insecticide application system (MistAway®) at maximum label rates were EcoExempt MC® (9.0 ml/liter, rosemary oil [18% AI], cinnamon oil [2% AI], lemongrass oil [2% AI], plus 78% “other ingredients” in wintergreen oil). Misting System Concentrate® (4 ml/liter, oil of Juniperus virginiana [85% AI]), Mosquito Barrier® (31.1 ml/liter, garlic oil [99.3% AI], and citric acid [0.5% AI]), and No-See-Um Organic Repellent® (99.5 ml/liter, lemongrass [4% AI], citronella [3% AI], castor oil [3% AI], sodium laurate [3%], and garlic oil [1% AI] in an 86% [AI] mixture of wintergreen oil, lecithin, and water). All products were compared with a commercial formulation of synergized pyrethrins, Riptide® (9.0 ml/liter, pyrethrins [5% AI], piperonyl butoxide [25% AI]), as a standard. Mortality was the greatest for Riptide to both mosquito species with effectiveness influenced by distance from the nozzle (ranging from >80% at 3 m to >10% at 20 m). The essential oil products resulted in <10% mortality for each species regardless of application exposure distance with the exception of EcoExempt, which gave ≈13% mortality of caged female Ae. albopictus 6 m from the nozzles.

The compound 1-octen-3-ol is a known attractant of some mosquito species, which has led to the hypothesis that olfactory stimulation by this alkenol may be associated with the following structural elements: a terminal site of unsaturation or high electron density; a structural capability for hydrogen bonding, e.g., -OH, -NH₂, NHR, NR₂, etc.; a saturated hydrocarbon chain of a certain minimum length; and a certain relative distance between the region of high electron density and the alcohol (or other hydrogen-bonding) functional group. Using this logic, we synthesized 20 alkenol analogs based on the octenol double-bonded carbon skeleton. The attraction of female Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus to these analogs was compared with 1-octen-3-ol as a standard in semi–field trials. For both species, collections from Mosquito Magnet-X© (MMX) suction traps baited with the alkenol analogs in the absence of carbon dioxide were not significantly different from octenol-only baited traps, with the exception of (Z)-3-hepten-1-ol which collected significantly more Ae. albopictus. In the presence of CO₂, most of the collections from traps baited with an alkenol were considerably increased for both species but not different from octenol plus CO₂, with the exception of Ae. albopictus where (Z)-3-decen-1-ol, (Z)-4-hexen-1-ol, 7-octen-2-ol, and 8-nonen-3-ol significantly depressed trap catches. Although no clearly identifiable structure–activity relationship could be determined from our collected data, we did find that MMX traps baited with carbon dioxide and 4-penten-2-ol or (E)-2-decen-4-ol significantly enhanced Cx. quinquefasciatus collections up to nearly 3-fold compared with octenol plus carbon dioxide.

Discarded cigarette butts (DCB) waste occurs worldwide, pollutes landscapes, is unsightly, and results in added debris removal costs. There is, therefore, a great deal of current interest in making use of DCBs in beneficial ways. Despite evidence that DCBs are harmful to water fleas (Daphnia magna), which breed in aquatic environments as do mosquito larvae, their impact on dengue vectors is unknown. We examined whether Aedes albopictus alters its ovipositional responses, larval eclosion, and development in response to presence of DCBs in its habitats. We found oviposition activity in DCB-treated water similar to that of control water and that ovipositional activity in DCB solutions steadily increased over time as those solutions aged to 10 days. Larval eclosion was initially suppressed on day 1 in DCB solution, but increased thereafter to levels similar to control larval eclosion rates. The DCB–water solutions produced significantly higher mortality in both 1st and 2nd instars over control larvae for several days after initial exposure. Mortality rates decreased sharply 3 to 5 days postexposure as DCBs continued to decompose. We found increased survival rates during late development, but daily input of fresh DCBs prevented most young larvae from completing development. Taken together, these observations suggest that decomposing did not deter gravid Ae. albopictus females from ovipositing in treated containers and that DCB solutions had larvicidal effects on early instars. Our results are discussed in the context of DCB use to control container-breeding Ae. albopictus, a competent dengue vector in Asia and other parts of the world.

The current Department of Defense pest management system does not provide adequate protection from arthropod disease vectors to personnel deployed in support of US military operations. We hypothesized that military camouflage netting, ubiquitous around living and working areas in current US military operations in Africa and the Middle East, treated with a residual pesticide such as bifenthrin may reduce the presence of biting insects and improve the military pest management system. In this study, we examined the longevity and efficacy of bifenthrin applied to camouflage netting material at the maximum label rate of 0.03 liter formulation (7.9% AI) per 92.9 m² against field populations of mosquitoes in southern California in a hot-arid environment similar to regions of Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. We showed that bifenthrin treatment of camouflage netting was effective at reducing mosquito populations, predominantly Psorophora columbiae and Aedes vexans, by an average of up to 46% for 56 days, and could cause as much as 40% mortality in Culex quinquefasciatus in laboratory bioassays for nearly 2 months postapplication. These population reductions could translate to commensurate reductions in risk of exposure to mosquito-borne pathogens, and could potentially be effective against sand flies and filth flies.

The 21st Annual Latin American Symposium presented by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) was held as part of the 77th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA, in March 2011. The principal objective, as for the previous 20 symposia, was to promote participation in the AMCA by vector control specialists, public health workers, and academicians from Latin America. This publication includes summaries of 55 presentations that were given orally in Spanish or presented as posters by participants from 4 countries in Latin America and the USA. Topics addressed in the symposium included: surveillance, chemical and biological control, and insecticide resistance associated with Aedes aegypti; distribution, behavior, and control of Culex; bionomics, ecology, and chemical and biological control of Anopheles vectors of malaria; insecticide resistance; and studies of dengue, West Nile virus, and Triatoma spp.

The mosquito fauna of Micronesia is diverse and subject to introductions of exotic species and local extinctions. We report on 2 recently identified populations of exotic mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Anopheles campestris, to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Guam.

Mansonia dyari, a species common to Florida, has been documented for the first time in Alabama. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light trap surveillance yielded female specimens collected at 2 different locations in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. This is the westernmost expansion of this species in the USA.

Culicoides debilipalpis, C. insignis, C. lahillei, and C. venezuelensis are reported for the first time for Bolivia. The geographical distribution of C. paraensis extends to the Tarija Department.

Nineteen Aedes aegypti larvae were collected in rural Antigua, West Indies, from an 18-liter plastic bucket. The location was in a rural area at the northern end of Antigua bordering the coast of Dickenson Bay and approximately 50 m south of Halcyon Cove Beach (17°09′42.54″N, 61°50′44.50″W; elevation 16 m). Atypical morphology was noted in larvae and 3 reared adult females. Fourth instars showed a reduction in length of the lateral hair on the saddle (seta 1-X) with measurements ranging from 0.36 to 0.57 the length of the saddle. Two atypical female specimens displayed an abundance of dull white to gold scales that blanketed the abdomen. A 3rd specimen bore fine, golden scales on the mesonotum and bronze scales on the vertices of the head. These adult specimens demonstrated morphological characteristics that closely parallel described mutations, although the genetic basis for these characters was not confirmed. The remaining adults in the collection were morphologically typical. Adults and larvae were compared to field populations from Florida, Bahamas, and Antigua, as well as to the Rockefeller strain maintained at Rutgers University.

In a study on the comparative susceptibility of Anopheles kleini, An. lesteri, and An. sinensis to Plasmodium vivax, we examined the feeding of laboratory-reared mosquitoes on blood of a patient carrying gametocytes from the Republic of Korea. Sporozoites in salivary glands from day 14 postfeeding were detected in An. kleini and An. lesteri with numbers high enough to initiate infection, while no sporozoites were detected in the salivary glands of An. sinensis. This result suggests that An. kleini and An. lesteri could be vivax malaria vectors in the Republic of Korea.

We sought to estimate West Nile virus (WNV) activity in mosquito populations weekly at the census tract level in Chicago, IL, and to provide this information graphically. Each week we calculated a vector index (VI) for each mosquito trap then generated tract estimates using geographic information systems. During June 29–September 13, 2008, a median of 527 (60%) of 874 possible tracts per week had a VI value. Overall, 94% of the weekly VI tract estimates were 0; among those with a VI estimate greater than 0, the median was 0.33 (range 0.003–3.5). Officials deemed risk levels and weather conditions appropriate for adulticide treatments on 3 occasions, resulting in the treatment of approximately 252 linear kilometers of residential streets and alleys. Our analysis successfully converted complex, raw surveillance data into a format that highlighted areas of elevated WNV activity and facilitated the determination of appropriate response procedures.

Members of the Culex pipiens complex are principal vectors for West Nile virus (WNV) in the USA. Previous studies have shown that gravid traps might be more effective than CO₂-baited traps in sampling for Cx. pipiens. We compared the efficacy of gravid traps manufactured by 3 different companies: Bioquip, Clarke, and J. W. Hock. All gravid traps have a similar setup to hold the oviposition attractant but differ in the way they collect the mosquitoes. The gravid trap manufactured by J. W. Hock Company trapped significantly more Cx. pipiens than the other traps. Because CO₂-baited American Biophysics Corporation (ABC) traps are most often used by mosquito abatement agencies, we compared the efficacy of the Hock gravid trap with a CO₂-baited ABC trap. There was no significant difference in the number of Cx. pipiens trapped between the Hock gravid and CO₂-baited ABC trap. Because gravid traps predominantly attract previously bloodfed females (thereby aiding in WNV surveillance) and are logistically easier and cheaper to set up, we argue that the Hock gravid trap might be ideal for sampling Cx. pipiens populations.

Commercially available wood-fiber pots used to collect resting mosquitoes were modified to improve sampling efficiency. The modified traps, called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resting traps, collected 16.0 and 5.2 times more adult Culex pipiens and Cx. tarsalis than the conventional wood-fiber pots. The resting trap increases the mean number of resting mosquitoes collected per trap-night and is useful for collecting blood-engorged mosquitoes.

Ten commercial household permethrin products in aerosol formulations were evaluated for knockdown (KD) and mortality of female Culex quinquefasciatus. The permethrin concentrations of these products ranged from 0.05% to 0.50%. Eight of the 10 products produced significant KD (%) and mortality (%) posttreatment. At 15 min posttreatment, 3 household permethrin products provided 100% mortality. At 60 min posttreatment, 8 products provided 100% mortality. At 120 min, only 2 products resulted in less than 100% mortality with permethrin concentrations of 0.05% and 0.10%. A linear regression analysis shows a significant relationship between the mortality and times posttreatment.

Two permethrin formulations, AquaReslin® and AquaKontrol®, were applied by ultra-low volume truck-mounted sprayers on test plots under appropriate meteorological condition at Jacksonville, FL. The method of application was followed from the product label. The application rate for each formulation was 0.79 g permethrin per acre. AquaReslin and AquaKontrol demonstrated similar results against Anopheles quadrimaculatus; the former was superior to the latter used against Aedes aegypti, and Ae. albopictus. Teflon®-coated standard glass slides were used to collect the aerosol components. Volume median-diameter droplets per square centimeter varied with pesticides and distance from spray source, and the mortality of the 3 species at 18 h ranged from 61.3% to 91.7%.

We describe a simple, economic, and effective method for constructing sticky bottle traps that can be used to capture adult sand flies from rodent burrows. Although sand fly surveillance activities often employ light- or CO₂-baited traps, sticky papers secured to a post or placed on the ground can also be used. However, in arid environments, sand and other debris often collect on the sticky surface, reducing trap effectiveness, capacity, and a means for rapid discrimination and enumeration of adult specimens. Herein, a procedure for constructing sticky bottle traps is provided, as well as preliminary results from a recent sand fly field survey utilizing this device.

Dr. Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. (1866–1929) was an early-20th-century expert in taxonomy and biology of culicid Diptera. At an early age, Dyar became interested in the biology, life history, and taxonomy of Lepidoptera, which he continued throughout his entire career. Dyar pursued his passion for entomology, and during his formative years, professionals sent Lepidoptera specimens to him for identification. As his prominence was well known to Leland Howard, then the honorary curator of the US National Museum of Natural History, he was asked and accepted the position as honorary custodian of Lepidoptera in 1897, which later included periods of service with the US Department of Agriculture Bureau of Entomology and the US Army Officers' Reserve Corps. This position went without stipend and it was Dyar's personal wealth that allowed him to continue his love of entomology. However, the museum did provide limited staff and funds for illustrators, supplies, and travel. In the early 1900s, his interests expanded to include mosquitoes where he concentrated on their life histories and taxonomy. Throughout his career, Dyar often criticized colleagues, both personally and in publications, often with interludes of peace to coauthor articles and books. His legacy of original scientific work is of lasting significance to public health and entomology communities, in recognition of which he was selected as the 2011 AMCA memorial lecture honoree.