D3009: Comparing insecticide resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes throughout Arizona

The southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, is responsible for transmitting West Nile
Virus (WNV) in the United States. To lower the case count of WNV, insecticide treatment for
mosquito control is common practice. Over time, the repeated use of insecticides has caused an
evolution of insecticide resistance. This study will look at two different Cx. quinquefasciatus
populations exposed to varying levels of vector control intervention to determine the effect
vector control intervention plays on insecticide resistance towards permethrin, sumithrin, and malathion. The
two populations will include mosquitoes collected in Arizona from Maricopa County, Yuma County and Pima
County. It is hypothesized that a lower mortality rate and higher resistance mutation frequency
will be present in those mosquitoes previously exposed to higher levels of vector control
methods.