Effectiveness of BMP plans in different land covers, with random, targeted, and optimized allocation.

The ability of 5 Best Management Practice (BMP) allocation methods that consider 8 pre-selected BMPs, to control 4 Nonpoint Source (NPS) constituents in 4 watersheds with contrasting land covers, is investigated. The methods range from random selection of BMPs on randomly selected sites, to optimized selection of BMPs at optimized locations, and the land covers range from natural to ultra-urban. The optimization methods rely on Genetic Algorithms (GA), and a method that uses expert systems is also applied.

Aedes albopictus host odor preference does not drive observed variation in feeding patterns across field populations.

Laboratory and field-based studies of the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus demonstrate its competency to transmit over twenty different pathogens linked to a broad range of vertebrate hosts. The vectorial capacity of Ae. albopictus to transmit these pathogens remains unclear, partly due to knowledge gaps regarding its feeding behavior.

The Role of Tire Leachate in Condition-Specific Competition and the Persistence of a Resident Mosquito from a Competitively Superior Invader.

(1) Background: Condition-specific competition, when the outcome of competition varies with abiotic conditions, can facilitate species coexistence in spatially or temporally variable environments. Discarded vehicle tires degrade to leach contaminants into collected rainwater that provide habitats for competing mosquito species. We tested the hypothesis that more highly degraded tires that contain greater tire leachate alters interspecific mosquito competition to produce a condition-specific advantage for the resident, , by altering the outcome of competition with the competitively superior invasive .

Condition-Specific Competitive Effects of the Invasive Mosquito on the Resident among Different Urban Container Habitats May Explain Their Coexistence in the Field.

Condition-specific competition, when environmental conditions alter the outcome of competition, can foster the persistence of resident species after the invasion of a competitively superior invader. We test whether condition-specific competition can facilitate the areawide persistence of the resident and principal West Nile virus vector mosquito with the competitively superior invasive in water from different urban container habitats. (2) Methods: We tested the effects of manipulated numbers of on survival and development in water collected from common functional and discarded containers in Baltimore, MD, USA.

Higher West Nile Virus Infection in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes From Lower Income Neighborhoods in Urban Baltimore, MD.

The temperate United States has experienced increasing incidence of mosquito-borne diseases. Recent studies conducted in Baltimore, MD have demonstrated a negative relationship between abundances of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Culex mosquitoes and mean neighborhood income level, but have not looked at the presence of pathogens. Mosquitoes collected from five socioeconomically variable neighborhoods were tested for infection by West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in 2015 and 2016, and again from four of the neighborhoods in 2017.

Effects of Detritus on the Mosquito : and Invasion Affect Population Performance.

Species interactions that influence the performance of the exotic mosquito can have important effects on the transmission risk of West Nile virus (WNV). Invasive plants that alter the vegetation communities of ephemeral ground pools may facilitate or resist the spread of (L.) by altering allochthonous inputs of detritus in those pools.

Aedes albopictus Body Size Differs Across Neighborhoods With Varying Infrastructural Abandonment.

Mosquitoes pose an increasing risk in urban landscapes, where spatial heterogeneity in juvenile habitat can influence fine-scale differences in mosquito density and biting activity. We examine how differences in juvenile mosquito habitat along a spectrum of urban infrastructure abandonment can influence the adult body size of the invasive tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae). Adult Ae.

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on metabolic rate and fitness of and mosquitoes.

Natural and anthropogenic changes (e.g., land use change, pollution) will alter many environmental factors in the coming years, including the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface.

Relationships Among Immature-Stage Metrics and Adult Abundances of Mosquito Populations in Baltimore, MD.

Reducing water-holding containers that provide habitat for immature-stage (eggs, larvae, pupae) mosquitoes is often an effective means of managing urban mosquito-borne diseases. It is generally accepted that adult mosquito abundances are strongly influenced by the availability of container habitat. Yet few studies have directly examined if adult abundances are associated with the presence and abundance of immature stages among city blocks, which is the spatial scale at which common urban mosquitoes disperse and management is often conducted.

Linking stormwater Best Management Practices to social factors in two suburban watersheds.

To reduce nutrient pollution in urban watersheds, residents need to voluntarily practice a range of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). However, little is known about the underlying social factors that may act as barriers to BMP implementation. The overall goal of this study was to better understand barriers to BMP implementation by exploring the links among resident demographics, knowledge, and behaviors so that appropriate education can be more effectively developed and targeted.

Primary blood-hosts of mosquitoes are influenced by social and ecological conditions in a complex urban landscape.

Background: Temperate urban landscapes support persistent and growing populations of Culex and Aedes mosquito vectors. Large urban mosquito populations can represent a significant risk for transmission of emergent arboviral infection. However, even large mosquito populations are only a risk to the animals they bite.

Effects of tire leachate on the invasive mosquito and the native congener .

Discarded vehicle tire casings are an important artificial habitat for the developmental stages of numerous vector mosquitoes. Discarded vehicle tires degrade under ultraviolet light and leach numerous soluble metals (e.g.

Socio-Ecological Mechanisms Supporting High Densities of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Baltimore, MD.

Social, ecological, and climatic factors interact creating a heterogeneous matrix that determines the spatiotemporal distribution of mosquitoes and human risks of exposure to the diseases they transmit. We explore linkages between the social and institutional processes behind residential abandonment, urban ecology, and the interactions of socio-ecological processes with abiotic drivers of mosquito production. Specifically, we test the relative roles of infrastructure degradation and vegetation for explaining the presence of Aedes albopictus Skuse 1894 to better predict spatial heterogeneity in mosquito exposure risk within urban environments.

Effectiveness of Print Education at Reducing Urban Mosquito Infestation through Improved Resident-Based Management.

Improving resident-based management and knowledge of mosquitoes is often an integral component of integrated mosquito management, especially in urban landscapes with considerable mosquito habitat on privately owned lands. This study tested the effectiveness of print education materials at reducing urban mosquito exposure through improving resident knowledge of, and attitudes towards, mosquitoes and mosquito management in Washington DC, USA. There was a specific focus on the removal of water-filled containers that are utilized by the developmental stages of the two most common vector species in the region, Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens.

Effects of a Red Marker Dye on Aedes and Culex Larvae: Are There Implications for Operational Mosquito Control?

Marker dyes are often mixed with liquid insecticide formulations prior to field applications to accurately determine the characteristics and penetration of droplets into targeted habitats. We have been using FD&C Red 40 Granular DM food dye at the rate of 20 g/liter in liquid solutions of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for area-wide larvicide applications against the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. The Bti and dye mix ratio has been recommended by pesticide manufacturers for testing under operational conditions, but no data exist on the effects of the dye itself on mosquito larvae.

The ecological foundations of transmission potential and vector-borne disease in urban landscapes.

Urban transmission of arthropod-vectored disease has increased in recent decades. Understanding and managing transmission potential in urban landscapes requires integration of sociological and ecological processes that regulate vector population dynamics, feeding behavior, and vector-pathogen interactions in these unique ecosystems. Vectorial capacity is a key metric for generating predictive understanding about transmission potential in systems with obligate vector transmission.

Effects of Competition and Predation by Native Mosquitoes on the North American Invasion of Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae).

The success and effects of a biological invasion can be dependent on species interactions with resident competitors and predators. Indirect interactions between competition and predation, such as keystone predation, can influence both invasion success and the impact of an invasive species on resident competitors. The invasive mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) has been established within the North American range of the indigenous competitor Aedes triseriatus (Say) and indigenous mosquito predator Toxorhynchites rutilus (Coquillett).

Prior Hydrologic Disturbance Affects Competition between Aedes Mosquitoes via Changes in Leaf Litter.

Allochthonous leaf litter is often the main resource base for invertebrate communities in ephemeral water-filled containers, and detritus quality can be affected by hydrologic conditions. The invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus utilizes container habitats for its development where it competes as larvae for detritus and associated microorganisms with the native Aedes triseriatus. Different hydrologic conditions that containers are exposed to prior to mosquito utilization affect litter decay and associated water quality.

A tale of two city blocks: differences in immature and adult mosquito abundances between socioeconomically different urban blocks in Baltimore (Maryland, USA).

Infrastructure degradation in many post-industrial cities has increased the availability of potential mosquito habitats, including container habitats that support infestations of invasive disease-vectors. This study is unique in examining both immature and adult mosquito abundance across the fine-scale variability in socio-economic condition that occurs block-to-block in many cities. We hypothesized that abundant garbage associated with infrastructure degradation would support greater mosquito production but instead, found more mosquito larvae and host-seeking adults (86%) in parcels across the higher socio-economic, low-decay block.

Spatial and temporal habitat segregation of mosquitoes in urban Florida.

Understanding mechanisms fostering coexistence between invasive and resident species is important in predicting ecological, economic, or health impacts of invasive species. The non-native mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus have been resident in the southeastern United States for over a century. They coexist at some urban sites with the more recent invasive Aedes albopictus, which is usually superior in interspecific competition.

Interspecific Competition between Aedes albopictus and A. sierrensis: potential for Competitive Displacement in the Western United States.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, was first detected in North America twenty five years ago. It utilizes water-holding container habitats as immature development sites, and has rapidly spread throughout the eastern United States. Aedes albopictus has occasionally been detected in the western United States, but until recently no established populations of A.

Roles of spatial partitioning, competition, and predation in the North American invasion of an exotic mosquito.

Invasion success and species coexistence are often mediated by species interactions across patchily distributed habitats and resources. The invasive mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus has established in the North American range of the competitively superior resident congener, Aedes albopictus, and the predatory native mosquito Toxorhynchites rutilus. We tested predictions for two hypotheses of invasion success and species coexistence: keystone predation and spatial partitioning.

Modelling adult Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus survival at different temperatures in laboratory and field settings.

Background: The survival of adult female Aedes mosquitoes is a critical component of their ability to transmit pathogens such as dengue viruses. One of the principal determinants of Aedes survival is temperature, which has been associated with seasonal changes in Aedes populations and limits their geographical distribution. The effects of temperature and other sources of mortality have been studied in the field, often via mark-release-recapture experiments, and under controlled conditions in the laboratory.