| Over use of synthetic insecticides can disturb ecosystem and non-target organisms particularly the effectiveness of natural insect pest predators. Herein, the effect of insecticides at their sublethal concentrations was assessed on the biological parameters and functional response of Coccinella septempunctata . All insecticides significantly reduced the fecundity, TPOP (total pre-oviposition period), larval weight and increased the life span of C. septempunctata relative to control. Thiamethoxam and lambda-cyhalothrin non-significantly reduced the coccinellids larval weight. Type II response was shown by larvae of C. septempunctata in control treatment. Larval coccinellids showed type II functional response after feeding on the brassica aphids ( Brevicoryne brassicae ) treated with thiamethoxam, lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin, while imidacloprid, profenophos and chlorpyrifos treated aphids altered the functional response of larval coccinellids from type II to III. The change in response was linked to unconsciousness and disorientation induced by the insecticides targeting insect nervous system. Conclusively, none of the insecticides was found safe and all insecticides have had adverse effects on the life parameters of coccinellid beetle C. septempunctata . However, thiamethoxam, lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin did not change the functional response of larval coccinellids; while, these insecticides increased the handling time and decreased the maximum attack rate relative to control. Thiamethoxam, lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin were considered relatively safe for the larval coccinellids and hence are recommended for aphid control.

Effect of Intra-Guild Predation and Sub Lethal Concentrations of Insecticides on the Predation of Coccinellids

Malaria is considered as the single most prevalent life-threatening infectious disease in the world which spreads to human populations by Anopheles mosquito. Malaria infection poses serious risks to adults, children and pregnant women. The adverse effects in pregnant women include anaemia, fetal demise and premature delivery. The incidence of malaria is higher in children younger than five years in endemic areas like tropical Africa. The vector potential of female species Anopheles varies due to different meteorological conditions. Climate based models have also shown an enhancement of disease following extreme weather changes. This review gleans an insight into the association of malaria with different climatic variables. It covers etiology, symptoms’ manifestation, life cycle of the parasite, transmission, epidemiology, drug resistance, impact of El Niño cycle, malarial association with climatic change and conclusions and technological innovations.

Mosquitoes are causing plenty of diseases including dengue fever, malaria, japanese encephalitis. Mosquitoes were collected from 1006 sties of six tehsils of district Sargodha. Different containers were inspected for mosquito sampling. RNA was extracted from female mosquitoes and used for cDNA synthesis followed by detection of arbovirus using primer. The site index (SI) and tehsil container index (TCI) of district Sargodha was 28.3 and 12.2 respectively. Overall, the percentage of Aedes spp, Culex spp. and Anopheles spp was 79, 20 and 0.4% respectively, in the collected population. Highest positive containers for Aedes mosquitoes were discarded tires. Overall, 12.2% of containers were found positive for mosquito population. Maximum number of larvae and adults were recorded from urban area of district Sargodha (SgdU). Arboviruses, Flavivviruses, were found in 5 pools (almost 3%) of the samples, while, other viruses such as Alphaviruses and Bunyaviruses were not detected in any of the samples. Man-made habitats are the main contributors to dengue fever mosquito population. There is a dire need of proper environment management to reduce the breeding places of mosquito and detect the virus in local population for environmental friendly control of dengue fever mosquito.