Spray and Pour-On Acaricides Killed Tennessee (United States) Field-Collected Haemaphysalis longicornis Nymphs (Acari: Ixodidae) in Laboratory Bioassays.

Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Asian longhorned tick) is an exotic and invasive tick species presenting a health and economic threat to the United States (U.S.) cattle industry due to its ability to transmit pathogens and infest hosts in large numbers. The objective of this study was to evaluate available products at causing H. longicornis mortality in a laboratory bioassay. The efficacy of products was evaluated at label rates using H. longicornis nymphs collected from a cattle farm in eastern Tennessee in two different bioassays (spray or dip) against untreated controls. After exposure, ticks were transferred to clean petri dishes and checked for mortality at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 21, 24, and 48 h post exposure. No mortality occurred in the untreated controls, whereas all treated ticks were dead within 24 h of exposure (P < 0.0001). These findings support the hypothesis that currently available spray and pour-on products are effective at causing H. longicornis mortality. We conclude that these acaricides can be used as a component to prevent H. longicornis dispersal and for control in the U.S.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) Collected From Residential Yards and Dog Kennels in Florida Using Two Aspirators, a Sweep Net, or a CDC Trap.

Mosquito surveillance typically uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mosquito light traps baited with CO2. From January 2013 to March 2015, we sampled seven field sites using three active mosquito-trapping techniques (two different aspirators and a sweep net) and the stationary CO2-baited CDC mosquito light trap to determine mosquito capture efficacy for each technique. Sampling occurred in four suburban backyards and three dog kennel facilities near Gainesville, FL, USA; species collection and relative abundance were measured. A total of 32 species and 70,090 individual mosquitoes were collected, including a new record for Alachua County, Florida, Aedes hendersoni (Cockerell). The dominant (>5% of total capture) mosquito species collected during the study included Aedes atlanticus (Dyar and Knab), Aedes infirmatus (Dyar and Knab), Anopheles crucians Wiedemann, Culiseta melanura (Coquillett), Culex erraticus (Dyar and Knab), Culex nigripalpus Theobald, and Uranotaenia sapphirina (Osten Sacken). The CDC trap captured the most species (29), followed by large aspirator (28), small aspirator (26), and the sweep net (23). All dominant species were captured with each sampling technique. Excluding Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald), all subdominant species (1-5% of total capture) were collected with each sampling technique. Future sampling should consider the utility (e.g., large numbers are readily collected) and limitations (e.g., personnel requirements) of aspirator collections when designing field-based mosquito sampling projects, especially those in residential areas or those focused upon species captured.