In Chile, all necrotic arachnidism is attributed to the Chilean recluse spider, Loxosceles laeta Nicolet, a species that shares the microenvironmental habitats with the spitting spider Scytodes globula Nicolet. The latter species has been proposed as a potential predator of L. laeta. For this research, we studied the interaction between both species during individual encounters to assess the possibility of population regulation of L. laeta cohorts exposed to this potential predator. We found that in most encounters S. globula prevailed. Also, S. globula preys on spiderlings of L. laeta, with a population effect on cohorts of this species. These findings suggest that S. globula may be influencing L. laeta populations in central Chile. The population regulation of L. laeta by predation would be important because this species, in the absence of predators, has a high reproductive rate, and it can maintain populations of large size. However according to our results, although S. globula may aid in the reduction of both spiderling and adult L. laeta populations, and perhaps other Loxosceles species, it is insufficient for biological control of Loxosceles species. Its presence together with other control measures such as hygiene of the rooms can help to decrease loxoscelism incidence.

Identifying the tick species that successfully feed on humans would increase knowledge of the epidemiology of several tick-borne diseases. These species salivate into the host, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission. However, there is a lack of data in the literature regarding the ticks that prefer to feed on humans. Herein, we describe the successful feeding of Amblyomma coelebs Neumann nymphs on two of the authors after accidental tick bites occurred during field surveys in two preserved areas of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. One of the host—parasite interactions was closely monitored, and the tick development, gross host skin alterations, and related sensations are presented.

Gravid mosquitoes use chemosensory (olfactory, gustatory, or both) cues to select oviposition sites suitable for their offspring. In nature, these cues originate from plant infusions, microbes, mosquito immature stages, and predators. While attractants and stimulants are cues that could show the availability of food (plant infusions and microbes) and suitable conditions (the presence of conspecifics), repellents and deterrents show the risk of predation, infection with pathogens, or strong competition. Many studies have addressed the question of which substances can act as positive or negative cues in different mosquito species, with sometimes apparently contradicting results. These studies often differ in species, substance concentration, and other experimental details, making it difficult to compare the results. In this review, we compiled the available information for a wide range of species and substances, with particular attention to cues originating from larval food, immature stages, predators, and to synthetic compounds. We note that the effect of many substances differs between species, and that many substances have been tested in few species only, revealing that the information is scattered across species, substances, and experimental conditions.

Females of the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens L., are capable of entering an adult overwintering diapause characterized by arrested ovarian development, enhanced stress tolerance, and elevated lipid stores. In contrast, the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, lacks this capacity and is therefore unable to survive the harsh winters found in northern regions of North America. These two species are capable of forming fertile hybrids in the United States, yet the diapause characteristics of these hybrids have not been extensively investigated. We crossed Cx. pipiens from Columbus, OH, with Cx. quinquefasciatus from Vero Beach, FL, and reared F₁ hybrids from all mothers separately under diapause-inducing, short-day conditions (a photoperiod of 8:16 [L:D] h) at 18°C. Egg follicle length and lipid content were used to assess the diapause status of hybrids. Diapause incidence of hybrids varied widely for progeny from different mothers of the same species, but hybrids with Cx. pipiens mothers were consistently more prone to enter diapause than hybrids that had Cx. quinquefasciatus mothers. Our results suggest a strong maternal influence on the diapause phenotype and that a high percentage (45–75%) of Cx. pipiens—Cx. quinquefasciatus hybrids are capable of entering diapause. This implies that many hybrids can successfully overwinter, leading to a possible widening of the hybrid zone of these two species in North America.

One thousand seven hundred unfed field-collected adult Dermacentor variabilis (Say) were overwintered in 34 outdoor enclosures near the northern limit of their distribution in Manitoba, Canada. At the northern limits of the range of D. variabilis, it had always been assumed that unfed adult ticks questing in spring succumbed before the next winter and were not part of the population observed in the following year. Survival of the collected ticks was assessed on two occasions. In midwinter, an average 39.4% (SE ± 2.50) of the ticks were still alive, while an average 19.9% (SE ± 1.14) survived to April. Female ticks had significantly higher survivorship than males. The ability to survive an additional winter allows ticks to act in a greater capacity as reservoirs for tick-associated pathogens in this region.

A yearlong survey of insect taxa associated with human decomposition was conducted at the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) facility located in the Center for Biological Field Studies of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. During this study, four insect—cadaver interactions were observed that represent previously poorly documented yet forensically significant interactions: Syrphidae maggots colonized a corpse in an aquatic situation; Psychodidae adults mated and oviposited on an algal film that was present on a corpse that had been recently removed from water; several Panorpidae were the first insects to feed upon a freshly placed corpse in the autumn; and a noctuid caterpillar was found chewing and ingesting dried human skin. Baseline knowledge of insect—cadaver interactions is the foundation of forensic entomology, and unique observations have the potential to expand our understanding of decomposition ecology.

Some African flies may cause myiasis not only in animals but also in humans, representing a serious health problem for the local population and for tourists.We report a rare case of furuncular myiasis due to larvae of Lund's fly Cordylobia rodhaini Gedoelst (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a species which usually parasitizes small mammals. The myiasis was diagnosed in Italy in a tourist guide who travelled in Central African rainforests of Uganda. The clinical case and the morphological criteria used for species identification are described here, together with a review of all literature cases of human furuncularmyiasis due to C. rodhaini.

A new tick species belonging to the genus Dermacentor Koch, 1844, namely, Dermacentor limbooliati n. sp., is described. Adults of this species are similar to those of Dermacentor auratus Supino, 1897 and Dermacentor compactus Neumann, 1901, with which it was previously confused. Males of D. limbooliati may be distinguished from those of D. auratus and D. compactus by the following suite of characters: relatively broad conscutum with slightly straightened lateral sides, conscutum widest approximately at mid-length, oval shape of pseudoscutum, central brown patch in the center of pseudoscutum broad and diffused and not continuous with central patch in posteromedian area, conscutum posterior to pseudoscutum rugose, wide and blunt internal spur on coxa I, relatively long, narrow, and pointed external spur on coxa I, numerous internal spurs on coxa IV and trochanter I with moderate and broadly triangular spur with tapering apex. Females of D. limbooliati may be distinguished from those of D. auratus and D. compactus by the following suite of characters: rounded shape of scutum, central brown patch broad and diffused in the center of scutum, relatively long alloscutum setae, genital aperture moderately narrow V-shaped with preatrial fold bulging, wide and blunt internal spur on coxa I, relatively long, narrow, and pointed external spur on coxae I and trochanter I with moderate and broadly triangular spur with tapering apex. D. limbooliati is known from Malaysia and Vietnam where the adults were collected from vegetation, Sus scrofa resting beds, a human, and clothing. The immature stages remain unknown.

Mosquitoes often experience intraspecific and interspecific competition among larvae attributable to high densities and nutrient limitation, especially container mosquitoes including Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Density-dependent effects on larvae impact adult production and adult traits that influence transmission of arboviruses. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which density-dependence influences transmission and identify species-specific traits, we tested the hypotheses: 1) Competitive asymmetry in favor of Ae. albopictus over Ae. aegypti translates to altered adult female survival, and 2) Ae. aegypti adult females are more resistant to life-shortening effects of low-humidity conditions than Ae. albopictus. We gauged the relative impact of inter- and intraspecific larval competition on adult survival in high- and low-humidity regimes (77 and 44% relative humidity, respectively). For Ae. albopictus, intraspecific but not interspecific competition usually reduced adult survival under both humidity regimes. For Ae. aegypti, both intraspecific and interspecific competition reduced adult survival. Ae. albopictus adult survival was minimally influenced by interspecific competition with Ae. aegypti, consistent with observations that Ae. albopictus is the superior competitor. A species comparison indicated that Ae. aegypti exhibited a survival advantage relative to Ae. albopictus under both low- and high-humidity conditions. However, similar survival of these Aedes species was observed in some cases depending on conditions experienced in both the aquatic and terrestrial environments. These results demonstrate plasticity in survival rates of dengue and chikungunya vectors and the significance of considering the influence of biological interactions during the immature stages and abiotic conditions during the adult stage.

To document the diversity and distribution of mosquito species inhabiting the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, collection trips were conducted to all physiographic regions (Grand Northamerican Plains, Coastal Plain of North Gulf, and Sierra Madre Oriental) and subregions across the state. Additionally, we re-examined mosquito specimens in two Mexican entomological collections: the Collection of Insects and Mites of Medical Importance and the Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance. In total, 3,931 specimens were collected. These represent the two Culicidae subfamilies Anophelinae and Culicinae, 10 tribes, 17 genera, 27 subgenera, 80 named species, and 2 undescribed species. Of these, 3 tribes, 6 genera, 7 subgenera, and 20 species are new records for the mosquito fauna of Tamaulipas. Fourteen species recorded in the historical records were not found in collections made for this study. Taxonomic notes, new distribution limits, and comments about the medical importance of some of the species collected are reported.

From 2010 onwards, a nationwide mosquito monitoring scheme has been conducted in The Netherlands with the aim of gaining crucial information about mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) species composition, geographical distributions, biodiversity, and habitat preferences. The results of this study are based on 778 randomly sampled mosquito locations. These are divided into three main habitat types: urban, rural-agricultural, and natural areas. Twenty-seven mosquito species were found: 26 indigenous and 1 exotic, Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901). The preliminary results are presented here, with details of their species distribution and seasonality. Monitoring the temporal and spatial distribution of mosquitoes is an essential step in the risk analysis of emerging mosquito-borne diseases.

Susceptibility status of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus Skuse larvae obtained from 12 states in Malaysia were evaluated against five insect growth regulators (IGRs), namely, pyriproxyfen, methoprene, diflubenzuron, cyromazine, and novaluron under laboratory conditions. Field populations of Ae. aegypti exhibited moderate resistance toward methoprene and low resistance toward pyriproxyfen, with resistance ratios of 12.7 and 1.4, respectively, but susceptibility to diflubenzuron, cyromazine, and novaluron. On the other hand, field populations of Ae. albopictus exhibited low resistance against diflubenzuron and novaluron, with resistance ratio of 2.1 and 1.0, respectively, but susceptibility to other tested IGRs. Our study concluded that the tested IGRs provide promising results and can be used to control field population of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, especially cyromazine. The use of IGR should be considered as an alternative when larvae develop resistance to conventional insecticides.

Because of great economic loss in the world's livestock industry, and the serious risks to human health, the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases is one of the most important health management issues today. Current methodology involves integrated tick control for preventing the development of resistance. Rabbits are hosts for immature stages of the three-host tick Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch; so, we focus on this host as a strategy to interrupt the tick life cycle. Spinosad is an insecticide-acaricide, produced by the fermentation of metabolites of the actinomycete bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa. We administered spinosad orally by force-feeding naturally and artificially infested rabbits, and under field conditions by administering treated food via a hopper during the period of peak infestation and reinfestation risk for rabbits. No living larvae were recovered from treated laboratory rabbits. In naturally infested rabbits, the number of live ticks collected from treated rabbits (mean = 0.62 ticks per ear) was significantly lower than those recovered from untreated rabbits (mean = 7.27; P < 0.001), whereas the number of dead ticks collected from untreated rabbits (mean = 6.53) was significantly lower than those recovered from treated rabbits (mean = 18.62; P < 0.001). In addition, free and continually reinfested rabbits freely ingested low doses of spinosad, reducing the tick burden from 48.00 (Day 0) to 26.09 ticks per ear in treated rabbits (Day 16), whereas controls maintained the infection (46.64). This strategy could be useful as an alternative or supplement to traditional acaricides in tick control programs.

The objective of the present study was to determine simultaneously the status of resistance against ivermectin (IVM) in gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888) ticks in 12 cattle farms where IVM was used for the control of GIN in the Mexican tropics. Six farms had frequent use of IVM (≥4 times per year) and six farms had low frequency of IVM use (1–2 times per year). The fecal egg count reduction test and the larval immersion test were used to determine the resistant status of GIN and R. microplus against IVM, respectively. The results indicated that 100% of the surveyed farms had IVM-resistant GIN (reduction % from 0 to 67%). The genera involved were Haemonchus, Cooperia, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, and Oesophagostomum. Although the IVM was never used for the control of ticks, 50% of the surveyed farms presented GIN and R. microplus simultaneously resistant to IVM. Furthermore, two R. microplus populations showed high resistance ratio (RR) to IVM (farm TAT: RR_50% = 7 and RR_99% = 40.1; and farm SLS: RR_50% = 2.4; RR_99% = 11.0). A high frequency of IVM use (≥4 times per year) seemed to promote IVM resistance amongst R. microplus ticks compared with the farms with low frequency of IVM use (1–2 times per year; 66.6 vs. 25.0%, respectively). However, the number of surveyed farms was insufficient to show clear statistical inferences (odds ratio = 6.00; 95% Cl = 0.341–105.5). The use of IVM for the control of GIN promoted simultaneously the development of IVM resistance in the GIN and R. microplus populations of the cattle herds surveyed.

Superinfection exclusion is generally defined as a phenomenon in which a pre-existing viral infection prevents a secondary viral infection; this has also been observed in infections with mosquito-borne viruses. In this study, we examined the superinfection exclusion of the vertebrate-infecting flaviviruses, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and dengue virus (DENV), by stable and persistent infection with an insect-specific flavivirus, Culex flavivirus (CxFV), in a Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles cell line (CTR cells). Our experimental system was designed based on the premise that wild Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes naturally infected with CxFV are superinfected with JEV by feeding on JEV-infected animals. As a result, we found no evidence of the superinfection exclusion of both JEV and DENV by pre-existing CxFV infection at the cellular level. However, JEV superinfection induced severe cytopathic effects on persistently CxFV-infected CTR cells. These observations imply the possibility that JEV superinfection in CxFV-infected Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes has an adverse effect on their fitness.

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (the Gulf Coast tick) is a three-host, ixodid tick that is distributed throughout much of the southeastern and south-central United States, as well as several countries throughout Central and South America. A considerable amount of scientific literature followed the original description of A. maculatum in 1844; nonetheless, the Gulf Coast tick was not recognized as a vector of any known pathogen of animals or humans for >150 years. It is now identified as the principal vector of Hepatozoon americanum, the agent responsible for American canine hepatozoonosis, and Rickettsia parkeri, the cause of an emerging, eschar-associated spotted fever group rickettsiosis identified throughout much of the Western Hemisphere. Coincident with these discoveries has been recognition that the geographical distribution of A. maculatum in the United States is far more extensive than described 70 yr ago, supporting the idea that range and abundance of certain tick species, particularly those with diverse host preferences, are not fixed in time or space, and may change over relatively short intervals. Renewed interest in the Gulf Coast tick reinforces the notion that the perceived importance of a particular tick species to human or animal health can be relatively fluid, and may shift dramatically with changes in the distribution and abundance of the arthropod, its vertebrate hosts, or the microbial agents that transit among these organisms.

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a reservoir of many zoonotic pathogens and lives in close proximity to humans in urban environments. Human infection with rodent-borne disease occurs either directly through contact with a rat or its excreta, or indirectly via arthropod vectors such as fleas and ticks. Here, we report on the diversity and abundance of ectoparasitic arthropod species and associated pathogenic bacteria from 133 Norway rats trapped over a 10-mo period in Manhattan, New York, NY. Norway rats were host to the tropical rat mite [Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst)], the spiny rat mite (Laelaps echidnina Berlese), Laelaps nuttalli Hirst, the spined rat louse [Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister)], and the Oriental rat flea [(Xenopsylla cheopis) (Rothschild)], with an average of 1.7 species per individual. A flea index of 4.1 X. cheopis was determined, whereas previous studies in New York City reported 0.22 fleas per rat. Multiple species of pathogenic Bartonella were identified from Oriental rat fleas that were related to Bartonella tribocorum, Bartonella rochalimae, and Bartonella elizabethae. However, no evidence of Yersinia pestis or Rickettsia spp. infection was detected in fleas. The identification of multiple medically important ectoparasite species in New York City underscores the need for future efforts to fully characterize the diversity and distribution of ectoparasites on Norway rats, and assess the risk to humans of vector-borne disease transmission.

The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latrielle), can be a serious residential pest due to its unique ability, among ticks, to complete its lifecycle indoors. A single engorged and fertilized female tick can oviposit around 4,000 eggs, allowing indoor establishment to be rapid and easy to miss in early-stage infestations. Acaricide treatment is currently the primary method of control, but can be costly and can lead to the development of acaricide resistance in tick populations. Traps of various designs can be used to help monitor and manage populations of indoor pests, such as cockroaches and bed bugs, but there are currently no commercially available traps for use with brown dog tick infestations. This study included a comparison of four commercially available bed bug traps (NightWatch [BioSensory Inc., Putnam, CT], Bed Bug Beacon [PackTite, Fort Collins, CO], ClimbUp [Susan McKnight Inc., Memphis, TN], and Verify [FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, PA]) with regard to their efficacy in capturing brown dog ticks, and also compared tick attraction to ClimbUp traps baited with several stimuli including CO₂. Significantly more ticks were captured and attracted to the NightWatch and CO₂-baited ClimbUp traps than the other two trap models. The results suggest that bed bug traps may be useful in brown dog tick monitoring, and CO₂ will likely be an important component of a trapping system employed in the future.

Geographic distribution records for the lone star tick [Amblyomma americanum (L.)] in the peer-reviewed literature are incomplete for Oklahoma, preventing accurate disease risk assessments. To address this issue and document the presence of A. americanum in available habitats throughout the state, county-scale tick records published in U.S. Department of Agriculture—Cooperative Economic Insect Reports and specimens maintained at the K.C. Emerson Entomology Museum, Oklahoma State University, were reviewed. In addition, dry ice traps and tick drags were used to collect adult and nymphal A. americanum from throughout the state. Review of published USDA reports and the local museum collection documented A. americanum in 49 total counties (35 and 35, respectively). Active surveillance efforts confirmed the presence of this tick in 50 counties from which this species had not been previously reported to be established, documenting A. americanum is established in 68 of the 77 (88.3%) counties in Oklahoma. Taken together, these data verify that A. americanum ticks are much more widespread in Oklahoma than reflected in the literature, a phenomenon likely repeated throughout the geographic range of this tick in the eastern half of North America.

Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth & Jones) is the principal North American vector of bluetongue virus (BTV). BTV infection of livestock is distinctly seasonal (late summer and fall) in temperate regions of the world such as California, which has led to speculation regarding vertical transmission of the virus within the midge vector as a potential mechanism for interseasonal maintenance (“overwintering”) of the virus. To evaluate potential vertical transmission of BTV in its midge vector, we fed adult midges BTV-spiked blood and used a BTV-specific quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay to evaluate parent, egg, and progeny stages of laboratory-reared C. sonorensis for the presence of viral nucleic acid. Whereas BTV nucleic acid was weakly detected in egg batches of virus-fed female midges, virus was never detected in subsequent progeny stages (larvae, pupae, and F1 generation adults). Similarly, BTV was not detected in pools of larvae collected from the waste-water lagoon of a BTV-endemic dairy farm in northern California during the seasonal period of virus transmission. Collectively, these results indicate that BTV is not readily transmitted vertically in C. sonorensis, and that persistence of the virus in long-lived parous female midges is a more likely mechanism for overwintering of BTV in temperate regions.

Gynandromorphism, the simultaneous occurrence of both male and female genotypic and morphological characteristics in a single individual of a normally sexually dimorphic species, is rare in ticks. The phenomenon is documented previously for free-living specimens representing several tick genera, particularly Amblyomma and Hyalomma, but only rarely in Ixodes. Here we describe the first two known gynandromorphs of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, collected while flagging vegetation during routine tick surveillance in the Hudson Valley region of New York State. Uniquely, both specimens display some morphological features typical of nymphs, in addition to those of both males and females.

We collected larval trombiculid mites on vegetation monthly from October 1997 to February 2000, and from the heads of sika deer culled in March 2003 in Boso Peninsula, central Japan. Two species of trombiculid mites, Neotrombicula nogamii Takahashi, Takano, Misumi, and Kikuchi and Leptotrombidium scutellare Nagayo, Miyagawa, Mitamura, and Tamiya, occurred on vegetation. Peak numbers of N. nogamii were found in January, and L. scutellare numbers peaked in November. Both species were collected predominantly on the top of Sasa bamboo stems, where they formed clusters, though N. nogamii preferred heights of 40–50 cm. Furthermore, N. nogamii and Walchia masoni (Asanuma and Saito) were collected from deer. These findings indicate that vegetation is an important substrate for some trombiculid mites awaiting hosts.