MOSQUITO CONTROL RESEARCH NEEDS: NEW PRIORITIES

Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory

MOSQUITO CONTROL RESEARCH NEEDS:

NEW PRIORITIES

ASSESSING CURRENT AND PAST INVESTMENTS TO MAKE FURTHER

PROGRESS

Walter J. TabachnickFlorida Medical Entomology Laboratory

University of Florida, IFAS

February 12, 2008


FCCMC Research Priorities -2007Topic Rank Score

Non Pesticide Control 1 66

Emerging Pathogens 2 64

Pesticide - Non target Effects 3 63

Disease Surveillance/Control/Risk Prediction 4 62

Mosquito Ecology/Behavior 5 61

Application Vegetative Barrier 6 56

Domestic Mosquito Control/Storm Water 7 55

Environmental Residue Monitoring 8 54

Pesticide New Products 9 54

Pesticide Efficacy/Resistance 10 53

Application Larvicide (e.g. canopy penetration) 11 52

Application Aerial Techniques 12 51

Public Education/Risk Communication 13 47

Mosquito Surveillance Trapping Systems 14 43

Attractants/Repellents 15 37


Funded Research Projects 2007• Using water table to reduce emergency insecticide

applications • Isolating new mosquitocidal bacteria• Increasing testing efficacy of mosquito pools• Non pesticidal control pilot study • Effects of droplet size, air blast, application angle for

barrier treatment • Spread, larval habitat, abundance, vector status of

Culex coronator• External morphology of Cx. nigripalpus female

antennae• Updating and reprinting the White Paper


Funded Research Projects 2006

• Statewide monitoring of mosquito response to organophosphates

• Evaluating automatic spray systems in backyards

• Improving mosquito control using permethrin aerial ULV while monitoring non-targets

• Isolating mosquitocidal bacteria• Enhanced surveillance of arboviruses in

Florida


FCCMC Research Priorities -2007Topic Rank Score

Non Pesticide Control 1 66

Emerging Pathogens 2 64

Pesticide - Non target Effects 3 63

Disease Surveillance/Control/Risk Prediction 4 62

Mosquito Ecology/Behavior 5 61

Application Vegetative Barrier 6 56

Domestic Mosquito Control/Storm Water 7 55

Environmental Residue Monitoring 8 54

Pesticide New Products 9 54

Pesticide Efficacy/Resistance 10 53

Application Larvicide (e.g. canopy penetration) 11 52

Application Aerial Techniques 12 51

Public Education/Risk Communication 13 47

Mosquito Surveillance Trapping Systems 14 43

Attractants/Repellents 15 37

$32,252

$180,558$68,300$63,898$23,837

$21,000

$115,737

$83,118

$119,362


Data Gaps - Priorities

• Disease (Emerging Pathogens) Prediction/Control– WN, SLE, EEE, CHIK, DEN

• Products/Operations– New/Improved Products– Strategies to Reduce Pesticides

MOSQUITO

BIOLOGY


Research Gaps/Projects - 2008• Improve Vector-Borne Disease Prediction and

Mitigation in Florida For Arboviruses– Vector competence of Florida mosquitoes– Ecology – identify environmental and biological triggers

for outbreaks, reduce pesticides.– Improved prediction/interventions– Improve mosquito keys

• Non Pesticide Products/Methods to Reduce Pesticides– Reduce pesticide reliance – i.e. mosquito biology, ecology,

behavior, habitat information, targeting control for maximum effectiveness, improve mosquito keys

– Improve effectiveness of Bti 10 fold using synergy with TMOF.


Vector Competence of Florida Mosquitoes for Arboviruses

• Identify factors that control vector ability.• Identify target mosquito populations for control at

a time before they become dangerous vectors

PRIORITY: ● THIS PROVIDES UNDERSTANDING RISK FROM EMERGING PATHOGENS, CURRENT PATHOGENS● REDUCES UNNECESSARY CONTROL, TARGETS CONTROL● REDUCES COSTS AND RELIANCE ON PESTICIDES


WNV and SLEV in Florida Vectors• We have found differential vector competence in

Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus for WNV and SLEV attributed to the mosquito midgut. (Richards et al 2007, 2008)


WNV and SLEV in Florida Vectors• FMEL projects funded by NIH (Lord, Smartt,

Richards, Anderson, Tabachnick)

• Identify critical midgut proteins

• Isolate and sequence proteins

• Construct primers to amplify controlling genes of each protein

• Screen DNA libraries to identify genes

cDNA libraries for Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. p. quinquefasciatus for vector competence and pesticide resistance genes.

PROJECT: OBTAIN GENE LIBRARIES



Present MWTD recording sites (n = 589)

PROJECT: Using KBDI data to evaluate arboviral transmission and the need for vector control

Jon Day, Roxanne Connelly

Priorities:Disease, Surveillance, ControlReducing pesticides



Arboviral transmission risk for May 2005



MWTD Data for the Pinellas County, FL WNV outbreak of 2005

Pinellas droughtterminated WNV transmission



KBDI data at 4 km resolution

Project: Provide KBDI data for all of Florida

Provide information to target mosquito anddisease control efforts



Dengue, chikungunya - Preparing Florida for Emerging Pathogens…

Aedes aegypti Aedes albopictus


PROJECT: Water-holding tree holes and leaf axils: assessing their importance in providing aquatic habitats for Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti

Jorge R. Rey and George F. O’Meara

PRIORITIES● Disease Surveillance/Control/Risk Prediction● Mosquito Ecology/Behavior● Domestic Mosquito Control/Storm Water


• Information on habitat usage by container mosquitoes is needed.

•Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti also utilize natural containers such as, tree holes and leaf axils.

• The impact of natural containers in Florida on the production of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti is not known.


Neoregelia sp.

Forty mosquito positive Neoregelia plants sampled

No. plants with No. of larvae & pupae

Wy. mitchellii 8 62

Wy. vanduzeei 26 590

Ae. albopictus 31 294

Ae. aegypti 23 122

Cx. quinquefasciatus 25 681


● Examine various plant species to assess their potential for providing aquatic habitats for Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti.

● Survey selected communities to determine the distribution and abundance of plants with a high propensity for frequently harboring immatures of Ae. albopictus and/or Ae. aegypti.

● Information derived from this study will assist mosquito control operations in targeting important mosquito production sites that might otherwise be overlooked.

RESEARCH PROJECT



Habitat characteristics at an intermediate scale influence A. aegypti and A. albopictus oviposition.

FROM: Habitat Segregation of Mosquito Arbovirus Vectors in South Florida. Rey et al. 2006. J. Med. Entomol. 43: 1134-1141


• Long range determinants (field collections/ GIS)

• Land-use

• Geographic setting (surrounding habitats, distance from coast, etc.)

• Short range determinants (lab experiments)

• Preference of container background (vegetation, bricks, mixed, open).

• Container usage in Florida – (field surveys)

• Preferences

• Distribution

• Interaction with, short, medium and long range setting.


PROJECT: Determinants of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus habitats - Jorge Rey



• Long range (kms) determinants of habitat selection.• land use• geography• habitat type• …

• Medium Range…

• Short range (meters) determinants of oviposition site selection.• habitat composition• access• human activity• …

• Container type preferences.• type• size• shape, color, material• abandoned/used• ….


Project: Identify factors for barrier treatments to be effective

Cynthia Lord and Roxanne Connelly

PRIORITIES:● Mosquito Ecology/Behavior● Application Vegetative Barrier● Non pesticide – trapping barriers


Barrier methods for control• Increasing use to protect specific locations

– Vegetation treatment with pesticides– Traps and attractants

Goal: to block mosquitoes from reaching target• Questions for success

– What proportion of the population must be blocked?– How does timing or spacing affect control?– Other important factors: persistence, attraction distance,

population characteristics?• The tradeoffs between these and other factors in the success of a

barrier are not well understood


Proposed research• Model:

– Examine effect of key factors on level and duration of control in ideal landscape

– Translate to more realistic landscape to compare to field studies

– Identify factors or problems requiring further research• Field Studies

– Monitor existing control program– Compare with model studies

• This research will improve our understanding of the factors that affect the success of barrier control strategies


1. E-Z Key to the Genera of Florida Mosquitoes

2. Illustrated Taxonomic Keys to the Adult Female Mosquitoes of Florida

Priorities: Mosquito Biology Surveillance

Roxanne Connelly & Phil Lounibos

Project: Modernize Florida Taxonomic Keys


Project Deliverables for Mosquito Control• Modernize and simplify taxonomic keys of Florida

mosquitoes• 3-D photography not line drawings• Provide images in taxonomic keys

– Card set of Common Mosquitoes of Florida was a huge success!

• Provide following publications:– “E-Z” Key to the Genera of Florida Mosquitoes - color laminated – Illustrated Taxonomic Keys to the Adult Mosquitoes of Florida

(genera and species)– Illustrated keys to the 4th instar larvae of Florida mosquitoes

• Other publications with high quality images


Example of page from “Illustrated taxonomic keys to the adult female mosquitoes of Florida”


Example of Images for New Taxonomic Keys


Feeding Brewer’s Yeast Cells to Aedes aegypti Larvae for 4 Days [5mg dry cells/5 larvae/25 ml water].

PROJECT: Biopesticides for mosquito control

Dov Borovsky

Use genetically engineered yeast producing Ae. aegypti TMOF asa larvicide

PRIORITIES:● New products● Non pesticide control


Feeding Pichia pastoris_TMOF Cells to Aedes aegypti Larvae for 4 days[5mg dry cells (3.02 g TMOF)/5 larvae/25 ml water].

Effect of feeding genetically engineered yeast with TMOF to mosquito larvae


Proposal:

● Test synergy with Bti● Kills within 3 days● Effective up to 3rd instar● Test in field plots

● No larval development● Lethal● Death within 10 days


RESEARCH DATA GAPSPriorities and High Likelihood for Success and Impact• Disease Surveillance/Control/Risk Prediction

– Vector Competence – Gene Libraries– Environmental Triggers – KBDI for all of Florida

• Emerging Pathogens (CHIK, DEN, WNV, SLEV)– Vector Competence Mechanisms – Gene Libraries

• Mosquito Ecology/Behavior– Success of barrier/trapping treatments– Container mosquito habitats– Improved keys

• Non Pesticide Control/New Products– TMOF and synergy with Bti

• Domestic Mosquito Control– Container mosquito habitats

Documents

MOSQUITO CONTROL RESEARCH NEEDS: NEW PRIORITIES