Comparative toxicity and efficacy of growth-regulating larvicides to Culex mosquitoes

There is an urgent need to develop a successful larval source management (LSM) plan to reduce the number of breeding sites and the number of mosquito larvae and pupae contained in these sites. Culex spp. mosquitoes serve as primary vectors of West Nile Virus (WNV), which compromise the health, well-being, and productivity of human communities each year in Nebraska. There are limited data for the selection and use of larvicides for a LSM plan in Nebraska, which intensifies the challenge for deploying efficacious insecticide active ingredients to reduce mosquito larvae and pupae densities and curb pathogen transmission from adults. To complement the development of a successful LSM plan in Nebraska, it is important to evaluate and compare the activity of different larvicide chemistries to field-collected and laboratory-reared Culex spp. mosquitoes. This study focuses on the comparative toxicity and efficacy of growth-regulating larvicides, including JH modulators, chitin synthesis inhibitors, and molting disruptors, Culex spp. mosquitoes from Nebraska. These data will be discussed in terms of optimal larvicide chemistries to serve as effective inclusions to a successful LSM plan for reducing mosquito populations and, ultimately, preventing community transmission of WNV in Nebraska.