RNAi-mediated mortality of Culex quinquefasciatus using two delivery methods of potential field application.

With increasing reports of resistance to traditional insecticides, there is a need for innovative ways for mosquito control. RNAi is a sequence-specific molecular biology technique for gene silencing through degradation of mRNA and prevention of protein translation. Some genes are essential for insect life and their silencing can lead to insect morbidity and/or mortality.

RNAi-Mediated Screening of Selected Target Genes Against Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Culex quinquefasciatus, a member of the Culex pipiens complex, is widespread in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world. It is a vector for lymphatic filariasis, Rift Valley fever, and West Nile virus. Studies have shown the deleterious effect of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of various lethal genes in model and agricultural pest insects.

Delivery Methods for RNAi in Mosquito Larvae.

Mosquito-transmitted diseases pose a threat for a great portion of the world population. Chemical insecticides are the main tool for mosquito control. Heavy dependence on chemicals created several problems such as resistance development in many mosquito species, environmental effects, and human health issues.

Assessment and an updated list of the mosquitoes of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Mosquito-borne pathogens are important causes of diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Knowledge of the mosquito fauna is needed for the appropriate control of the vectors that transmit the pathogens and prevent the diseases they cause. An important first step is to have an up-to-date list of the species known to be present in the country.

A new species of the genus (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) parasitizing domestic chickens in Saudi Arabia.

Amyrsidea Ewing, 1927 is a genus of chewing lice comprising 52 species, divided into five subgenera: Amyrsidea sensu stricto, Argimenopon Eichler, 1947, Cracimenopon Carriker, 1954, Desumenopon Carriker, 1954 and Numidimenopon Scharf & Price, 1977 (see Price et al. 2003: 86), which parasitise a wide range of hosts belonging to the avian order Galliformes (see Price et al. 2003: 321).

New host/parasite record for very rare chewing louse Cuculotogaster arabicus (Clay, 1938) (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) on endemic mountain partridges of Arabian Peninsula.

The endemic avifauna of Arabia is unique and characteristic through the whole region. Little is known about these birds and their ectoparasites. The Arabian partridge Alectoris melanocephala (Rüppell, 1835) and Philby's partridge Alectoris philbyi Lowe, 1934 are two endemic species which are distributed through the Sarawat Mountains in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Little known chewing lice (Phthiraptera) infesting crab plover Dromas ardeola Paykull, 1805 (Charadriiformes: Dromadidae) from the Red Sea.

Scanty information is available for many species of chewing lice of marine birds. Through this work we investigated one of most characteristic marine bird for chewing lice. Seven individuals of crab plovers Dromas ardeola Paykull, 1805 were trapped using standard mist nets on Humr Island in Farasan Archipelago, Saudi Arabia.

New records of species of Saemundssonia (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) infesting breeding terns in the Arabian Peninsula, with notes on their phylogeny and ecology.

Six species of terns, which breed on the Arabian Peninsula, were examined for head chewing lice of the genus Saemundssonia in four different islands around the coasts of Saudi Arabia, both in the Red Sea and in the Arabian Gulf. Four louse species were collected: Saemundssonia laticaudata, Saemundssonia melanocephalus, Saemundssonia meridiana and Saemundssonia sternae, of which three are recorded for the first time from this region. Also, we record three new host-louse associations for the world-Saemundssonia laticaudata and Saemundssonia sternae from white-cheeked terns and Saemundssonia melanocephalus from Saunders's terns-including a host-switch event of Saemundssonia laticaudata on white-cheeked terns in the Karan Island population.

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) from Red Sea gulls with new host-parasite records.

Knowledge about chewing lice from marine birds of the Red Sea is minimal. Five species of gulls were examined for chewing lice in three different localities of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast. Two gull species were examined for lice for the first time (Larus armenicus Buturlin, 1934 and Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840) and their lice represent new host-louse associations.

Myiasis in sheep farms in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia.

During a survey for myiasis in Riyadh Region, 3712 sheep were examined. 73 animals (2%) were infested with different dipterous larvae. Out of the 115 larvae recovered, 100 larvae (87%) were Chrysomya bezziana, 10 (8.

Acaricidal effects of cardiac glycosides, azadirachtin and neem oil against the camel tick, Hyalomma dromedarii (Acari: Ixodidae).

The cardiac glycoside, digitoxin, from Digitalis purpurea L (Scrophulariaceae), a cardiac glycosidal (cardenolide) extract from Calotropis procera (Ait) R Br (Asclepiadaceae), azadirachtin and neem oil from Azadirachta indica A Juss (Meliaceae) were tested for their effects against larvae and adult stages of the camel tick, Hyalomma dromedarii Koch (Acari: Ixodidae). The contact LC50 values of the first three materials against adults were 4.08, 9.