Variation in the body size of wild Culiseta morsitans collected from Massachusetts was examined. No significant size variation was detected at any time during the collection period, nor was there a significant size difference between parous and nulliparous mosquitoes. We conclude that size variation in this species does not affect survivorship, an important aspect of vectorial capacity.

BACKGROUND Mosquitoes are vectors of many serious pathogens in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Current control strategies almost entirely rely upon insecticides, which increasingly face the problems of high cost, increasing mosquito resistance and negative effects on non-target organisms. Alternative strategies include the proposed use of inherited life-shortening agents, such as the Wolba...

Many of the most dangerous human diseases are transmitted by insect vectors. After decades of repeated insecticide use, all of these vector species have demonstrated the capacity to evolve resistance to insecticides. Insecticide resistance is generally considered to undermine control of vector-transmitted diseases because it increases the number of vectors that survive the insecticide treatment...

Knowledge of the link between a vector population's pathogen-transmission potential and its biotic environment can generate more realistic forecasts of disease risk due to environmental change. It also can promote more effective vector control by both conventional and novel means.This study assessed the effect of particular plant species assemblages differing in nectar production on components ...

Bedbugs are brown and flat hematophagous insects. The 2 cosmopolite species, Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus, feed on humans and/or domestic animals, and recent outbreaks have been reported in occidental countries. Site assessment for bedbug eradication is complex but can be assured, despite emerging insecticide resistance, by hiring a pest-control manager. The common dermatological pres...

We present new MUSCL techniques associated with cell-centered Finite Volume method on triangular meshes. The first reconstruction consists in calculating a one vectorial slope per control volume by a minimization procedure with respect to a prescribed stability condition. The second technique we propose is based on the computation of three scalar slopes per triangle (one per edges) still respec...