Shifting the paradigm: highlights from 2022 demonstrate broad public health impacts of applied urban entomology.

In 2022, the dramatic reduction of applied and extension urban entomology positions was highlighted and widely discussed by seasoned and nascent urban entomologists alike. In fact, many urban entomologists are calling for a "paradigm shift" within the discipline given the reduction in niche urban entomology-specific positions. Specifically, many individuals are insisting that movement toward a framework where urban entomologists address complex, cross-disciplinary issues and advocate for research funding through science policy is critical for the endurance of the discipline. In this new model, the purpose of urban entomology does not necessarily change, but rather expands to attack questions that may be of interest to the broader scientific community. In addition, this paradigm shift would necessitate increased engagement of urban entomologists with bureaucratic and administrative agencies to communicate the importance of urban pest management, especially in a landscape where funding opportunities and endowments have been reduced, reallocated, or eliminated. To reflect the ongoing transformation within the field of urban entomology, the objectives of this review were to highlight papers published in 2022 that exemplify the broader impacts of urban entomological studies and urban pest management. Studies with ties to global public health and Entomological Society of America science policy initiatives are highlighted to encourage urban entomologists to consider the far-reaching influence of their research.

Development of a Simple Trap That Captures Ticks (Acari) on Their Dorsal Surface.

We tested two versions of a trap that captures climbing ticks on their dorsum. A prototype based on a decades old model had three components, a truncated pyramidal base with steep sloping walls, downward facing sticky-tape extending beyond and spanning the boundary of the flat upper surface, on which ticks become dorsally immobilized, and a reservoir for gaseous CO2 emission from dry ice that rests on the flat upper surface. A preoperational trap was made of thermoformed plastic and differed from the prototype by its circular structure, a central depression suitable for future housing of a biotic CO2 generator and supplemental volatile lures and a transparent sticky ceiling that enables ticks to exhibit a phototactic response and allows users to see captured ticks without disturbing the traps. Field testing of the prototype in Florida and both trap types in Oklahoma and North Carolina achieved high catches of lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), e.g. mean catches of >70 ticks (adults plus nymphs) in 4 h in both the prototype and preoperational traps in North Carolina, and significantly higher yields of ticks than on dry ice baited 1 m2 white sheets.

Detection and monitoring of bed bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae): review of the underlying science, existing products and future prospects.

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. and C. hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites of humans. Since the resurgence of bed bugs in the late 1990s there has been a corresponding emphasis on development and implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs to manage infestations. One critical requirement of IPM is the ability to detect and monitor the target pest. We outline and describe the majority of all known existing devices and technologies developed for bed bug detection and monitoring as well as much of the underlying science. Almost 40 detection and monitoring products have flooded the marketplace, but for various reasons, including price, size, complexity and lack of independent scientific evaluation, they have not been widely adopted for IPM in structures. One product, the ClimbUp® Insect Interceptor, has nine competitors that utilize a similar design. This review also discloses many other technologies and products that are either too expensive or too impractical for use as either consumer or industrial products. We conclude that there is a critical need for inexpensive and effective detection and monitoring traps and lures suitable for widespread adoption by the urban pest control industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of sublethal exposure to a pyrethroid-neonicotinoid insecticide on mating, fecundity and development in the bed bug Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae).

Sublethal exposure to an insecticide may alter insect feeding, mating, oviposition, fecundity, development, and many other life history parameters. Such effects may have population-level consequences that are not apparent in traditional dose-mortality evaluations. Earlier, we found that a routinely used combination insecticide that includes a pyrethroid and a neonicotinoid (Temprid® SC) had deleterious effects on multiple bed bug (Cimex lectularius, L.) behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that sublethal exposure impacts physiology and reproduction as well. We report that sublethal exposure to Temprid SC has variable aberrant effects on bed bugs depending on the strain, including: a reduction in male mating success and delayed oviposition by females. However, after sublethal exposure, egg hatch rate consistently declined in every strain tested, anywhere from 34%-73%. Conversely, impact on fifth instar eclosion time was not significant. While the strains that we tested varied in their respective magnitude of sublethal effects, taken together, these effects could reduce bed bug population growth. These changes in bed bug behavior and fecundity could lead to improved efficacy of Temprid SC in the field, but recovery of impacted bugs must be considered in future studies. Sublethal effects should not be overlooked when evaluating insecticide efficacy, as it is likely that other products may also have indirect effects on population dynamics that could either aid or inhibit successful management of pest populations.

Behavioral effects of sublethal exposure to a combination of ß-cyfluthrin and imidacloprid in the bed bug, Cimex lectularius L.

BACKGROUND: Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are blood-feeding insect pests with public health relevance. Their rapid evolution of resistance to pyrethroids has prompted a shift to combination products that include both a pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticide. Insecticides have both a direct impact on mortality and an indirect effect on behavior. Thus, we assessed the sublethal effects of a widely used combination product containing ß-cyfluthrin (a pyrethroid) and imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid), as unexpected behavioral changes after exposure have been known to affect efficacy of insecticides. RESULTS: We found that bed bugs exposed to sublethal doses of a combination product containing ß-cyfluthrin and imidacloprid did not feed as effectively as untreated bugs. Their locomotion behavior was also reduced. However, aggregation in response to the presence of conspecific harborages was not affected by sublethal exposure. CONCLUSION: Bed bugs exhibit behavioral changes after sublethal exposure to a combination product that could affect pest management choices and outcomes. A reduction in host-finding efficiency and feeding could complement the lethal effects of the insecticide. Alternatively, reduced locomotion following exposure could limit ongoing contact with insecticide deposits. However, an overall reduction in movement indicates that treatments are unlikely to cause dispersal of bugs to adjacent dwellings. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.