Two new records of Anopheles homunculus in the eastern part of the Atlantic Forest are reported. This species was found for the first time in Barra do Ouro district, Maquiné municipality, Rio Grande do Sul state, located in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest. The 2nd new record was in the Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan municipality, southeast Bahia state. These records extend the geographical distribution of An. homunculus, suggesting that the species may be widely distributed in coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. It is hypothesized that the disjunct distribution of the species may be caused by inadequate sampling, and also difficulties in species identification based only on female external characteristics. Species identification was based on morphological characters of the male, larva, and pupa, and corroborated by DNA sequence analyses, employing data from both 2nd internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA and of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.

The known mosquito fauna of Glacier National Park, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, is reported with new records, including a list of the species of Chaoboridae known from both parks. Ochlerotatus nevadensis ( = Aedes nevadensis) from Glacier National Park is a new record for the state of Montana.

The pupae of Ochlerotatus albolateralis and Oc. deccanus are described and illustrated for the first time from specimens collected in the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal, breeding in tree holes and bamboo stumps. Chaetotaxal tables and illustrations show the morphology of their setae. Characters to recognize each species are explained.

We studied the potential of the essential oil extract from the bush mint, Hyptis suaveolens, for use against mosquito biting under both laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, the repellency of various concentrations (1–6%) of the essential oil was assessed against Anopheles gambiae, based on a 15-min landing and biting on treated forearms of volunteers. In the laboratory, the percentage of mosquitoes landing on the forearm was 42, 33, 23, 23, 9, and 2 for 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6% essential oil concentration, respectively; and 92 and 91 for the solvent (isopropanol) and untreated control, respectively. The percentage of mosquitoes taking a blood meal was 22, 12, 13, 12, 5, and 3 for 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6% essential oil, respectively; and 52 and 51 for the solvent and control, respectively. In the field, the 6% essential oil repelled all mosquitoes immediately postapplication; this activity declined to 75% after 5 h. The repellent action of the 8% essential oil concentration was higher, 97% after 5 h. Based on these data, the essential oil of H. suaveolens appears to be a good candidate for use in the integrated management of mosquito vectors of disease.

Feeding responses of Anopheles harrisoni and An. minimus were evaluated following exposure to 2 pyrethroid insecticides, bifenthrin or deltamethrin, using an excito-repellency test system in the presence and absence of live host cues. The results demonstrated that contact irritancy was the primary action of bifenthrin or deltamethrin in both mosquito species. There was no noncontact repellency effect elicited by either insecticide. Anopheles minimus showed rapid escape response with high mortality rates following direct contact with deltamethrin in the absence of a host and delayed escape responses when a host was present. Similarly, exposure of An. minimus to bifenthrin also elicited a delayed escape response in the presence of a host but with lower mortality rates. In experiments using An. harrisoni, the presence or absence of a host had no significant effect on behavioral responses to either insecticide (P > 0.05). We conclude that deltamethrin elicited stronger irritant chemical effects than bifenthrin but that behavioral responses in vector populations are dampened in the presence of an available host. This information is useful for estimating probability of pathogen transmission when using irritant chemicals in proximity to a blood-meal source.

Establishing baseline insecticide discriminating doses is crucial in accurately determining susceptibility status and changing temporal patterns of physiological response in mosquito populations. Pyrethroids are the predominant chemicals used for controlling adult Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, both vectors of dengue viruses, in Thailand. Presently, only 2 pyrethroids, permethrin and λ-cyhalothrin, have published diagnostic dose rates for monitoring Ae. aegypti. This study established the diagnostic lethal concentrations for 6 different pyrethroids available in Thailand for dengue vector control. United States Department of Agriculture insecticide-susceptible strain of Ae. aegypti was used to establish the baseline concentrations for subsequent susceptibility testing of field populations. Our findings showed lower discriminating concentrations for λ-cyhalothrin and permethrin than those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), at 2.5- and 1.7-fold lower dosing, respectively. The susceptibility status of 3 different geographical populations of field-collected Ae. aegypti were tested using the standard WHO procedures. All 3 field strains demonstrated varying levels of physiological resistance to each compound. We conclude that establishing the baseline diagnostic concentration of an insecticide is of paramount importance in accurately determining the susceptibility status in field-collected mosquitoes. If possible, discriminating doses should be established for all insecticides and test assays run concurrently with a known susceptible strain for more accurate monitoring of resistance in mosquito populations in Thailand.

During the summers of 2010 and 2011, Aedes japonicus larvae were collected from 2 sites in northeastern Arkansas while collecting mosquito larvae for a study on the presence of gut-inhabiting fungal symbionts. This is the first report of Ae. japonicus in the state of Arkansas. No identifiable specimens of gut-inhabiting fungi were collected from dissected Ae. japonicus larvae.

In July 2011, 7 late-stage larvae of Aedes japonicus japonicus were collected from a 5-gal bucket located behind a house in Fulton, MS. Three of the larvae were reared to the adult stage, with the remaining retained in 70% ethanol. Fifteen subsequent attempts over the next month to collect specimens by larval dipping in artificial containers at the property and surrounding towns in 3 adjacent counties all failed to produce any additional Ae. j. japonicus.

Mosquitoes and other macro arthropods were collected in September 2008 from bucket bromeliads in the vicinity of the Wayqecha Cloud Forest Research Center in southeastern Peru, an area for which there are no published data. Range extensions of culicid species are reported.

The selection of oviposition sites by female mosquitoes involves the ability to choose less dangerous larval habitats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ovipositional behavior of female Aedes aegypti in selecting sites treated with 2 different larvicides. The study was conducted in metal cages with plastic cups containing paper strips and either spinosad or temephos, or dechlorinated water (control). After exposing all treated and control cups to ovipositing female mosquitoes for 3 days, the paper strips were removed and examined for egg laying. Based on the number of eggs laid per treatment, the oviposition index was found positive for spinosad (0.66) but negative for temephos (−0.49), indicating that the natural product spinosad acted as an attractant and temephos as a repellent.

The efficacy of pyriproxyfen against the Australian salt-marsh mosquito, Aedes vigilax, was examined in 2 laboratory and 1 semi-field study using both technical grade and formulated products. In a dose–response study, the median emergence inhibition (EI₅₀) and EI₉₅ values were determined to be 0.019 and 0.076 ppb, respectively, for pyriproxyfen technical grade, 0.021 and 0.092 ppb for a microencapsulated formulation (Sumilarv® 90CS), and 0.054 and 0.236 ppb for the formulated s-methoprene product, Altosid™ Liquid Larvicide. A further laboratory comparison of the microencapsulated formulation of pyriproxyfen and Altosid, at the nominal field rate for Altosid, showed that both products provided 100% emergence inhibition and this was confirmed in a semi-field study, which also included a granular formulation of pyriproxyfen (Sumilarv 0.5G).

The mosquito control potential of the silicone-based monomolecular film Aquatain® Mosquito Formula (AMF) was investigated in field tests against the backyard mosquitoes Aedes notoscriptus and Culex quinquefasciatus. Plastic tubs, with and without emergent aquatic vegetation (Cyperus alternifolius), were sampled weekly for 2 wk prior to an application of Aquatain and up to 6 wk postapplication. The mean abundance of mosquito larvae and pupae was compared between pre- and postapplication periods as well as between treatment and control tubs. There was a significant reduction in the abundance of immature stages of both Ae. notoscriptus and Cx. quinquefasciatus within 48 h of application, and the mean weekly abundance of larvae of both species was significantly lower in treatment tubs compared with control tubs for up to 6 wk postapplication. Egg rafts, larvae, and pupae were not detected in treatment tubs until 5 wk postapplication. The results indicate that AMF holds great potential for mosquito control in backyard habitats.

We describe a novel software application (QCal) that was developed for calculation of dose–response curves in insecticide resistance bioassays. QCal uses a logistic regression model to generate values for lethal dose/knockdown dose based on data from a bioassay entered into the application user interface. The application can be freely distributed to interested parties.

We describe a simple trap modification for testing volatile attractants to collect flying mosquitoes. The trap uses a standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trap modified for release of test chemicals. Test chemicals and other materials can be added and removed easily without spills or cross contamination. In preliminary studies using lactic acid and octenol, modified traps collected 40% more mosquitoes than controls (n  =  164 and n  =  117, respectively). Modifications cost less than $2.00 per trap.

We describe an innovative aspirator gun designed to transfer individual anesthetized mosquitoes directly into glass bioassay tubes. The gun has been used for thousands of transfers with extremely low associated mortality and is the central component of a high-throughput bioassay system. The gun is constructed using readily obtainable materials and can be modified for a range of insects.