Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is currently the most invasive mosquito in the world. It is of medical importance due to its aggressive daytime human-biting behavior and ability to vector many viruses, including dengue, LaCrosse, and West Nile. Invasions into new areas of its potential range are often initiated through the transportation of eggs via the international trade in used tires. We use a genetic algorithm, Genetic Algorithm for Rule Set Production (GARP), to determine the ecological niche of Ae. albopictus and predict a global ecological risk map for the continued spread of the species. We combine this analysis with risk due to importation of tires from infested countries and their proximity to countries that have already been invaded to develop a list of countries most at risk for future introductions and establishments. Methods used here have potential for predicting risks of future invasions of vectors or pathogens. Key Words: Insect vectors—Biodiversity— Public health—Forecasting—Risk factors—Computer simulation. Vector-Borne Zoonotic Dis. 7, 76–85.

Background: Polymerase chain reactions to distinguish single-nucleotide polymorphisms are commonly used for mosquito identification and identifying insecticide resistance alleles. However, the existing methods used for primer design often result in analyses that are not robust or require additional steps. Methods: Utilizing oligonucleotides that are unique in having an intentional mismatch to both templates three bases from the SNP at the 3-prime end, three new PCR assays that distinguish SNP targets using standard gel electrophoresis of undigested DNA fragments were developed and tested. These were applied to: (1) an alternative ribosomal DNA PCR assay to distinguish five members of the Anopheles gambiae complex; (2) detection of the Mopti and Savanna rDNA types; and (3) an assay to distinguish resistance to dieldrin (Rdl) alleles in Anopheles arabiensis. Results: Reproducible specific amplification of the target alleles was observed in all three assays. The results were consistent with existing analyses but proved simpler and the results more distinct in our hands. Conclusion: The simplicity and effectiveness of the method should be utilized in these and other PCR analyses to increase their specificity and simplicity. These results have the potential to be extended not only to mosquito analyses but also to parasite and human polymorphisms.

Mosquitoes, just as other insects produced for the sterile insect technique (SIT), are subjected to several unnatural processes including laboratory colonisation and large-scale factory production. After these processes, sterile male mosquitoes must perform the natural task of locating and mating with wild females. Therefore, the colonisation and production processes must preserve characters necessary for these functions. Fortunately, in contrast to natural selection which favours a suite of characteristics that improve overall fitness, colonisation and production practices for SIT strive to maximize only the few qualities that are necessary to effectively control populations. However, there is considerable uncertainty about some of the appropriate characteristics due to the lack of data. Development of biological products for other applications suggest that it is possible to identify and modify competitiveness characteristics in order to produce competitive mass produced sterile mosquitoes. This goal has been pursued - and sometimes achieved - by mosquito colonisation, production, and studies that have linked these characteristics to field performance. Parallels are drawn to studies in other insect SIT programmes and aquaculture which serve as vital technical reference points for mass-production of mosquitoes, most of whose development occurs - and characteristics of which are determined - in an aquatic environment. Poorly understood areas that require further study are numerous: diet, mass handling and genetic and physiological factors that influence mating competitiveness. Compromises in such traits due to demands to increase numbers or reduce costs, should be carefully considered in light of the desired field performance.

Development rates of Aedes aegypti are known to vary with respect to many abiotic and biotic factors including temperature, resource availability, and intraspecific competition. The relative importance of these factors and their interactions are not well established across populations. We performed meta-analysis on a dataset of development rate estimates from 49 studies.