New Jersey light trap data from 1993, a year with unusually high amounts of precipitation, and 1994 were compared with mean light trap counts for the previous 8-10 years in each of 6 locations. The study took place in Iowa. In 1993, Aedes trivittatus and Culex tarsalis populations were unchanged. Anopheles punctipennis and Culex pipiens complex populations were significantly higher, and Aedes v...

Antisera raised against the denatured polypeptide of two organophosphate-detoxifying esterases (B1 and A1) of Culex mosquitoes were used in an immunoblot method to quantify esterase production in resistant versus susceptible strains and to detect the presence of immunologically related proteins in other insects. It was demonstrated that esterase B1 of Culex quinquefasciatus and esterase A1 of C...

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of nanopermethrin as a potential new formulation for pest and vector control. Methods Permethrin nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method its structure formulations designed using Box–Behnken statistical technique. The effect independent variables (Chitosan/Permethrin ratio, tripolyphosphate quantity, sonication time) on properties was investig...

Recent field studies have suggested that the dynamics of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission are influenced strongly by a few key super spreader bird species that function both as primary blood hosts of the vector mosquitoes (in particular Culex pipiens) and as reservoir-competent virus hosts. It has been hypothesized that human cases result from a shift in mosquito feeding from these key bird s...

Nowadays a number of endemic mosquito species are known to possess vector abilities for various diseases, as e.g. the sibling species Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium. Due to their morphological similarity, ecology, distribution and vector abilities, knowledge about these species' population structure is essential. Culicidae from 25 different sampling sites were collected from March till Octo...

BACKGROUND Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that infect different groups of arthropods including mosquitoes. These bacteria modify host biology and may induce feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Recently Wolbachia is being nominated as a bio-agent and paratransgenic candidate to control mosquito borne diseases. METHODS Here we report th...

Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and may induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) resulting in abortive embryonic development. Among all the described host species, mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex display the highest variability of CI crossing types. Paradoxically, searches for polymorphism in Wolbachia infecting strains and fie...