Summary This is the first report of the tropical bed bug in Florida in over 6 decades. The tropical bed bug had previously been documented in Florida in the 1930s and 1940s. Sumario Este es el primer informe de la chinche de cama tropical en la Florida en más de 6 décadas. La chinche de cama tropical ya había sido documentada en la Florida en los años 1930 y 1940.

Behavioral bioassays were conducted to determine whether bed bug adults and nymphs prefer specific colored harborages. Two-choice and seven-choice behavioral color assays indicate that red (28.5%) and black (23.4%) harborages are optimal harborage choices for bed bugs. Yellow and green harborages appear to repel bed bugs. Harborage color preferences change according to gender, nutritional status, aggregation, and life stage. Female bed bugs prefer harborages with shorter wavelengths (lilac—14.5% and violet—11.5%) compared to males, whereas males prefer harborages with longer wavelengths (red—37.5% and black—32%) compared with females. The preference for orange and violet harborages is stronger when bed bugs are fed as opposed to when they are starved. Lone bed bugs (30%) prefer to be in black harborages while red harborages appear to be the optimum harborage color for bed bugs in more natural mixed aggregations (35.5%). Bed bug nymphs preferred different colored harborages at each stage of development, which is indicative of their developing eye structures and pigments. First instars showed no significant preference for any colored harborage soon after hatching. However, by the fifth instar, 27.5% of nymphs significantly preferred red and black harborages (which was a similar preference to adult bed bugs). The proportion of oviposited eggs was significantly greater under blue, red, and black harborages compared to other colored harborages tested. The use of visual cues such as specific colors offers great potential for improving bed bug monitoring tools by increasing trap captures.

Laboratory and field trials were performed to evaluate the attractiveness and efficacy of commercial baits (cyantraniliprole; methomyl + (Z)-9-tricosene; dinotefuran + (Z)-9-tricosene; imidacloprid granular + (Z)-9-tricosene; and imidacloprid liquid + (Z)-9-tricosene). In choice tests; flies were most attracted to cyantraniliprole bait > dinotefuran + (Z)-9 > methomyl + (Z)-9 bait > imidacloprid granular + (Z)-9 bait > imidacloprid liquid + (Z)-9 bait. Significant degradation in bait efficacy was observed after two weeks of aging excluding imidacloprid granular; which began to degrade in field conditions after one week. Cyantraniliprole; the new fly bait active ingredient in Zyrox^®; had the longest time to knockdown in the laboratory tests; but on susceptible flies; achieved 95%–100% knockdown within an hour of exposure. Zyrox^® was resistant to weathering for a week; and was more attractive to flies in the field when compared to methomyl + (Z)-9 bait.

To date, few studies have evaluated chitin synthesis inhibitors against bed bugs, although they would provide an alternative mode of action to circumvent insecticide resistance. Acute and sublethal effects of lufenuron were evaluated against two strains of the common bed bug. Combined acute and sublethal effects were used to calculate effective doses. The dose that was effective against 50% of Harlan strain bed bugs was 0.0081% (w/v), and was much higher against Bradenton strain bed bugs (1.11% w/v). Sublethal doses were chosen to determine the effect that leg abnormalities had on pulling force. Both Harlan and Bradenton strain bed bugs had significantly lower locomotion ability (p < 0.0001) following topical application of lufenuron. The observed sublethal effects that limit locomotion could prevent bed bugs from moving within a domicile and taking a blood meal, subsequently reducing a bed bug population over time.

The toxicity of fatty acid salts to German, Blattella germanica (L.), and American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (L.), was evaluated. Potassium and sodium laurate caused up to 95% mortality of German cockroaches and 100% mortality of American cockroaches. Even-numbered potassium fatty acid salts, C₈–C₁₈, were assessed for toxicity at 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% concentrations by a 30-s immersion of cockroaches. The more soluble of the fatty acid salts at 2% concentration caused 65–95% mortality of German cockroaches and 100% mortality of American cockroaches. Potassium oleate, C₁₈, was most toxic to both German (LC₅₀ = 0.36%) and American (LC₅₀ = 0.17%) cockroaches. Fatty acid salt solutions on a substrate were tested by placing cockroaches in contact with treated floor tiles immediately after application (wet) or after the solutions had dried. Sodium laurate and potassium caprate caused mortality of German (62 ± 17.4 and 58 ± 12.6%, respectively) and American cockroaches (52 ± 18.5 and 28 ± 4.9%, respectively) on wet tiles, whereas potassium oleate caused mortality of German cockroaches (67 ± 14.1%) only. Dry fatty acids caused no mortality among exposed cockroaches. Fatty acid salt solutions can be effective in killing German and American cockroaches but only when insects are thoroughly wetted with 1–2% fatty acid salt solutions.

Research into mosquito-borne illnesses faces hurdles because feeding fresh animal blood to rear female mosquitoes presents logistical, economic, and safety challenges. In this study, a shelf-stable additive (spray-dried porcine blood; SDPB) hypothesized to supply accessible hemoglobin was evaluated within an alternative meal (AM) containing whey powder and PBS for rearing the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. LC–MS/MS proteomics, microbial assays, and particle reduction techniques confirmed and characterized the functionality of hemoglobin in SDPB, while engorgement, fecundity, egg viability, and meal stability bioassays assessed AM performance. Chemical assays supported hemoglobin as the phagostimulant in SDPB with aggregates partially solubilized in the AM that can be more accessible via particle reduction. Unpaired two-tailed t-tests indicate that the AM stimulates oogenesis (t₁₁ = 13.6, p = 0.003) and is stable under ambient (1+ y; t₁₂ = 0.576, p = 0.575) and aqueous (14 d; t₁₂ = 0.515, p = 0.639) conditions without decreasing fecundity. Egg hatch rates for the ninth generation of AM-reared Ae. aegypti were 50–70+%. With further development, this meal may serve as a platform for mass rearing or studying effects of nutritional additives on mosquito fitness due to its low cost and stability. Future work may examine tuning spray drying parameters and resulting impacts on hemoglobin agglomeration and feeding.