Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of NE 2443 was held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 in association with the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Portland, OR. The meeting included introductory remarks by the chair (Kris Silver) and introduction of the incoming co-chair (Jennifer Peterson). These were followed by presentations by project members or their laboratory personnel. The meeting ended with concluding remarks by the chair, and preparation of a form to collect year-long project data from the members.

Dr. Yoosook Lee's work addresses the research and extension needs to improve surveillance and control of invasive mosquitoes at local and regional scale. Ecological and geographic distribution of invasive species are examined to inform mosquito control and management strategies. Lee obtained mosquito samples from multiple locations Puerto Rico. Whole genome sequencing data was collected from the natural populations to estimate population connectivity between locations and to inform various models aimed at modeling mosquito distribution and dispersal. This will be critical in assessing the impacts of various mosquito control measures including genetic biocontrol on the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases including novel genetic control strategies. Lee is also serving as the Program Director of the Mosquito BEACONS working group improving the invasive mosquito surveillance and control capacity in the Southern states including FL, GA, MS, LA, NC, SC, TX, VA, and PR. The Mosquito BEACONS working group provided invasive mosquito identification workshops in Florida, Texas, and Virginia during the project period to strengthen the invasive mosquito surveillance capacity in the southern region. Lee provided hands-on experience in various science fairs and summer school programs to promote interest in STEM and invasive species management among K-12 students.

Dr. Kris Silver's work has largely focused on Objective 3 of NE2443 (Discover, develop, and integrate interventions to manage vector-borne pathogen transmission and pesticide resistance). His lab has been examining the roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in insect phisiology both by disrupting suspected biogenesis pathways and observing their effects on systemic RNA interference responses and by characterizing EVs derived from cultured Culex tarsalis cells following infection with West Nile virus (WNV). EVs are important mediators of intercellular and inter-species communication and understanding their roles and components will generate new strategies for disrupting pathogen transmission and controlling insect pests. In these experiments, EVs from infected cells were able to induce infection in uninfected cells. In parallel to these experiments, they have also been collaborating with Dr. Shi-Hua Xiang at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to test novel compounds that inhibit WNV replication in cultured Culex tarsalis cells. These experiments have identified several candidates for further development. In addition, they continue our experiments using electropenetrography (EPG) to understand the probing behaviors of blood-feeding insects. In the past year we have also been measuring gene expression in relation to the oberved waveforms producded by EPG techniques, which has revealed significant changes in gene expression during different phases of probing.

Dr. Adela Chavez's group performed immuno-precipitation of proteins recognized by the immune system of White-tailed Deer (WTD) after vaccination with extracellular vesicles (EVs). Using this approach, they identified over 20 proteins that can be used for the development of an anti-tick vaccine based on artificial extracellular vesicles. Additionally, they performed vaccination of cattle with extracellular vesicles to evaluate their efficacy to control ticks, showing promising results. Vaccination with EVs increased mortality of ticks in vaccinated animals, reduced weight and oviposition in surviving females, and reduced hatching of the eggs produced. They additionally, observed that exposure of ticks to winter conditions in Wisconsin altered the epigenetics of Ixodes scapularis ticks and miRNAs within EVs appear to target mRNAs encoding proteins involved in the wound healing response.

Dr. Subba Palli's lab works on Spotted fever rickettsiosis, which includes a group of illnesses with similar symptoms caused by Rickettsia spp. bacteria. Among these, Rickettsia rickettsii causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in humans and is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. While cases of this disease are reported each year, there is a historically low infection rate of this bacterium in the tick vector, Dermacentor variabilis. They report the county-level distribution of D. variabilis infected with R. rickettsii. Ticks were collected from the environment from 2019 to 2024 by dragging a white cloth and through their Kentucky Tick Submission Program. In total, 2,026 D. variabilis ticks were collected from 114 counties. Rickettsia rickettsii was detected in 15 tick samples (Minimum infection rate = 1%). These findings highlight the need for additional surveillance targeted in counties where RMSF cases are reported, improved clinical recognition, and expanded public health efforts to monitor and prevent RMSF in this region.

During this period, Dr. Andrea Gloria-Soria's lab worked together with academic institutions and vector control departments from across the US to obtain specimens from the Culex pipiens complex for amplicon sequencing and whole genome sequencing genotyping. They seek to better characterize the extent of the hybrid zone, particularly in the Northeast, focused on the distribution of pyrethroid resistance in the complex. They have generated the first Culex pipiens and molestus chromosome-level genome assemblies from the USA and sequenced the complete genome of 260 individual mosquitoes from 26 locations, determine their genotype at the kdr locus and investigated signals of admixture between Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus across a north-south transect. The results of this work are been prepared for publication.

The research in Dr. Panpim Thongripong's lab focuses on understanding the social and ecological processes that shape mosquito-borne disease transmission. This year, they advanced several projects spanning human-mosquito interactions, vector behavior, and mosquito community ecology. Their work involved studies using Bite Diary, a mosquito bite–reporting app, and standardized surveys to quantify bite exposure and the human behaviors that influence it. Their analyses show that outdoor activities and the timing of those activities strongly affect bite risk. They also identified psychological traits, including bite tolerance and perceived bite reactions, as key factors influencing adoption of bite-protection behaviors. These insights have implications for how human behavior shapes disease transmission. They also completed experimental studies examining how temperature affects the biting behavior and biting rates of Aedes aegypti. Because temperature influences both biting persistence and blood-feeding rates, these findings have important implications for predicting transmission dynamics under climate change scenarios. Another project nearing completion evaluated a low-cost UV light–based trap (the Katchy trap) for mosquito surveillance and control. In addition, they published results from a study examining mosquito community composition and mosquito blood-host usage across different landscape types in Florida, demonstrating strong habitat effects on both mosquito community structure and feeding patterns. Finally, ongoing work in the lab includes characterizing mosquito viromes and investigating how microclimate influences mosquito resting behavior.

To test the effect of microbial communities on mosquito life history traits, Dr. Sarah Short's group reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a controlled microbiota (gnotobiotic) or with a conventional microbiota and compared the effect of different microbial treatments on male wing length, longevity, pupation time, and mating success. Using bacterial communities they previously collected from natural larval breeding sites in Florida, USA, they measured these traits in males reared with exposure to each microbial environment. They identified microbial communities from natural A. aegypti larval development sites that differ significantly in pupation/eclosion success and give rise to males that differ significantly in wing length and flight capacity. They have isolated bacteria from the preserved communities and are currently sequencing each isolate to determine its identity. These data reveal how different microbes impact male traits critical to reproductive success, and the extent to which encountering certain microbes during larval development have life-long impacts on male reproduction and physiology. Additionally, they have investigated the impact of the microsporidian parasite Edhazardia aedis on the immune response of Aedes aegypti. They have determined that infection with the parasite increases the melanization and antimicrobial immune response in the mosquito but decreases excretion activity. They are currently investigating the role of C-type Lectins on mosquito-bacteria interactions in individuals infected with E. aedis.

The Dobson lab at the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology has developed base level survivorship data for both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus adult females and males, for use in comparison with pathogen infected individuals. This data is being analyzed in preparation of a publication.

At the Pennsylvania State University Deer Research Center (Dr. Erika Machtinger), 20 white-tailed deer were assigned to lone star tick, blacklegged tick, or control groups. Tick-exposed deer underwent three infestations two weeks apart to quantify tick recovery, engorged weight, fecundity, and immune responses. Lone star ticks showed decreasing engorged weights across infestations, suggesting partial acquired resistance, while blacklegged tick engorgement remained stable. Despite reduced size, lone star females produced substantial egg masses, indicating a compensatory reproductive strategy. Correlations between engorged and egg mass weights strengthened for lone star ticks but remained weak for blacklegged ticks, demonstrating species-specific host–vector interactions. Histopathology and sera collections were completed, generating a resource for molecular and immunological analyses. In addition, pathogensParallel fieldwork across three Pennsylvania State Game Lands and Shaver’s Creek produced baseline ecological data for rodent-targeted tick-tube evaluations. White-footed mice were the primary captures, with consistent body condition across plots. Rodent tick burdens, drag counts, and cotton-removal metrics established pretreatment benchmarks. Larval ticks were most abundant in edge habitats. Tube-condition data (cotton loss, wildlife damage, tube disappearance) identified logistical factors influencing field persistence.Baseline data directly informed refinements for Years 2–3 of the tick-tube study, including optimized spacing and monthly replacement intervals to improve intervention performance under natural conditions.

Research in Dr. Allison Gardner's lab corresponds to two Multistate project objectives, with an emphasis on the blacklegged tick and Lyme disease system: (2) Determine the ecology, physiology, genetics, and/or geographic and temporal distributions of historical, extant, and emerigng disease vectors and the pathogens they transmit. (3) Discover, develop, and integrate interventions to manage vector-borne pathogen transmission and pesticide resistance. Under objective 2, they are conducting complementary lab and field studies to understand the environmental constraints on the current distribution of the blacklegged tick in Maine. They are studying the interacting effects of exposure to cold temperatures and temperature variability on tick overwinter survival and conducting lab experiments to test whether the primary driver of overwinter tick mortality is direct freeze damage versus lipid depletion. They also are analyzing a long-term passive tick surveillance data set to investigate the impacts of climate conditions on changes in tick phenology in Maine over 35 years. Under objective 3, they are conducting field studies to assess the potential of different strategies to manage ticks in the residential environment. First, they concluded a three-year study evaluating the efficacy of beta-cyfluthrin to reduce tick densities in the woods on residential land. Second, they initiated a new planned four-year study investigating the effects of invasive buckthorn removal on tick densities, following up on previous research that has established a strong link between presence of invasive plants and high tick densities.

Over the past year, Dr. Tammi Johnson's research has focused on understanding the ecological requirements of Amblyomma maculatum s.l. (morphotype III). They successfully established a laboratory colony of this tick, enabling comparative studies of life history traits between A. maculatum s.s. (morphotype II, Gulf Coast tick) and A. maculatum s.l. (morphotype III). These morphotypes occupy distinct ecological niches, yet both are significant vectors of Rickettsia parkeri, a pathogen of public health concern. In addition to colony development, they quantified the rickettsial infection status of all A. maculatum s.l. ticks collected from Arizona. This work complements their previously published life history manuscript (2024) and provides critical insights into tick ecology and pathogen transmission dynamics. These findings will inform future studies on vector biology and disease risk assessment.

Dr. Shirley Luckhart's research addresses Objective 2 of NE 2443. Specifically, they work on the physiology and behavioral biology of Anopheles stephensi, a highly invasive malaria vector mosquito. During this past year, they published four peer-reviewed publications, including one that highlighted the effects of ingested blood-derived histamine and serotonin on A. stephensi circadian activity and retinal responses to different colors of light. When female mosquitoes ingested histamine and serotonin at blood levels associated with malaria, this greatly enhanced sensitivity to all wavelengths during the daylight hours as compared to typical nighttime sensitivity for this crepuscular mosquito. These effects were both infection- and temperature-dependent. In another study, they demonstrated that pantothenate (vitamin B5), which is required by mosquito and mammalian hosts as well as malaria parasites, also regulates mosquito feeding and reproduction. Notably, the decline in fecundity with age in A. stephensi mirrors the decline in total body B5 levels, both of which can be reversed by supplementation with B5.

The Piermarini lab is engaged in pesticide discovery efforts for identifying botanical-derived extracts and compounds that kill and/or repel mosquitoes via novel modes of action. In addition, the Piermarini lab is evaluating the mosquitocidal activities of natural products listed on the EPA25b list, which are active ingredients exempt from full EPA registration, against pyrethroid-resistant strains to determine if these products are effective for mitigating, or could potentially contribute to, pyrethroid-resistance. The Piermarini lab has also engaged in mechanistic research to evaluate the impacts of heat on the sensitivity of biochemical receptors to chemicals used as mosquito repellents.

Dr. Goudarz Molaei has investigated vector-host-pathogen interactions of mosquitoes and the eco-epidemiology of arboviruses in the US. He has conducted studies on the blood-feeding behavior of mosquitoes involved in the transmission of West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis viruses, as well as genetic and environmental factors modulating vector-host interactions in mosquito vectors. He has also investigated the role of mosquito species in the transmission of Dirofilaria immitis, a parasite that causes dirofilariasis. Within the framework of a passive tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance program, he has conducted studies on biology, phenology, ecology, and the role of native and invasive ticks in the transmission of pathogens of human and veterinary health concern.

Dr. Phillip Armstrong's group continues to conduct research on the vector biology, control, and ecology of arboviruses. They recently developed a machine learning model using point-level mosquito surveillance data in Connecticut to predict the probability of detecting West Nile virus (WNV) in under-sampled spaces. They validated our methods using observed data not used in model development and found that they can accurately predict WNV detection probabilities throughout the northeastern U.S. In another paper, they investigated the host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes collected in North Dakota in relationship to the transmission of WNV and other medically-important arboviruses. Finally, they showed that sequential blood feeding enhances virus dissemination in mosquitoes across diverse arbovirus-vector pairings, but a second blood meal was insufficient to overcome a strong midgut virus escape barrier in a non-natural virus-vector pairing.

This year, Dr. Megan Linske's work in integrated tick management has focused on developing and testing ecologically responsible strategies that meaningfully reduce tick populations while minimizing unintended impacts on non-target species. A major emphasis has been evaluating the effectiveness of shifting treatments to the fall, when adult blacklegged ticks are most active and nymphs are beginning their overwintering process. By integrating synthetic pyrethroid applications—still among our strongest and most reliable tools—with a more targeted, seasonally informed approach, they’re identifying high-risk areas and deploying interventions when they matter most. In parallel, they’ve continued advancing host-targeted methods, including optimized delivery of systemic acaricides to deer and mice, and conducting field monitoring through tick drags and pollinator assessments. Collectively, this work supports a more holistic, data-driven framework for tick control that balances public health needs with ecological stewardship, and positions integrated management as a key component of long-term tick-borne disease prevention.

In the last year Dr. Gabriel Hamer's lab has made advancements in studying the biology of arthropod vectors and associated pathogens of human and animal disease. They published a multi-state analysis comparing the number of publications from each state on mosquitoes and ticks with the human disease burden caused by either mosquito or tick-borne pathogens to highlight states with high prevalence of human disease but less research activities. They published field studies collecting ticks and triatomines and reporting infection with different pathogens. They are close to submitting the results of our Aedes aegypti randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of an autodissemination intervention in South Texas. Finally, they have two systematic literature reviews under review that address publication bias in the Aedes aegypti control trial literature and the global research attention on different mosquito genera in relation to malaria or dengue endemicity status of the country.

Dr. Benjamin Cull has produced an updated list of tick species for the state of Minnesota, compiled from literature, museum collections, citizen science reports, and unpublished data from state health, vector control and academic partners. Data on known county-level distributions, host and pathogen associations, and seasonal activity were compiled for these tick species. He expects to publish this early next year. His group has been monitoring tick and mosquito activity in Minnesota using openly accessible crowdsourced data from iNaturalist – their research with this platform has shown that it is an effective passive surveillance method that can be used to monitor human contact with native and invasive vector species, providing freely accessible data on vector distribution and seasonal activity comparable to existing passive monitoring methods. To improve the utility of data from this platform, they have developed algorithms to provide confidence scores relating to identification and geolocation.

The Biting Insect & Tick Ecology (BITE) Lab (Dr. Hannah Tiffin) at the University of Kentucky (UK) was recently established in early 2025 and has provided tick and insect identification services for Kentucky stakeholders, extension education, and research focused on vector-borne diseases, particularly at the human-animal interface. They conducted environmental surveillance for ticks on agricultural lands used for beef cattle and horses in Kentucky, that could expose animals and humans to tick-borne conditions. They are developing a small mammal nesting box that could be used to assist with tick surveillance in areas humans are at increased risk of tick-borne diseases, as small mammals harbor many disease-causing pathogens that ticks can acquire and transmit to people. They are working with a local nature sanctuary that has high tick bite reports on its property to assess tick populations and evaluate control options. In collaboration with the USDA, the Puerto Rico Extension Service, non-profit groups, and interdisciplinary faculty at UK, they conducted research in Puerto Rico to assess tick populations affecting horses and possibly people. They evaluated tick burden and species composition on horses that are kept near people’s homes and/or are used frequently for transportation or tourism, potentially exposing riders to tick bites.

 Major activities in Dr. Megan Meuti's lab include working towards identifying the environmental and biological drivers of seasonal West Nile virus, evaluating the efficacy and environmental impact of mosquito control, and determining how mosquitoes measure seasonal changes in daylength to initiate their overwintering dormancy. They have continuously collected mosquitoes from 16 sites in Ohio (8 urban and 8 rural) on a weekly or biweekly basis for the entire year. All Culex mosquitoes have been identified to species and are being tested for the presence of West Nile virus. They have found the highest Culex abundance in the month of that although more total mosquitoes were collected from rural areas, more mosquitoes in urban areas are infected with West Nile virus. They have also collected mosquitoes from residential properties where homeowners have opted-out of mosquito control, opted-in to municipal control, opted into municipal and commercial sprays, and opted to have mosquito-specific traps placed on their properties. So far, they have found that while the abundance of pollinators was the same across treatments, moths were significantly less abundant in sites that received municipal and commercial sprays. Additionally, the mosquito-specific traps did not adequately control mosquitoes. Members of the Meuti lab have also published our findings demonstrating that knocking out the circadian clock gene, cycle, prevents mosquitoes from tracking both daily and seasonal changes in daylength.

Dr. Dana Price's lab focuses on functional genomic analyses of vector arthropods and their holobiont - that is, the host and assemblage of commensal organisms (viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes) that live within and around them. This often involves identifying, characterizing and surveilling emerging zoonotic infectious diseases within arthropod hosts as well as the environment.

Under Objective 2.1, Dr. Bruce Noden's lab explored the ecology and geographic distribution of native disease vectors under changing environmental conditions by: 1) mapping tick ‘hot spots’ and infection status of native tick vectors in culturally important sites for Choctaw nation in south-central and southeast Oklahoma, and 2) monitoring native tick vectors and their bacterial infections under varying levels of encroachment by a native woody plant that is invading central and western Oklahoma. They also focused on Objective 2.2 by making novel discoveries of the fine-scale habitat usage of Culex species and Aedes albopictus within areas of invasive woody plant encroachment in Oklahoma. They identified that A. albopictus and Culex species are significantly more likely to be collected in the ecotone or within grassways within eastern red cedar than in adjacent grassland. This has important implications for vast areas of the Great Plains experiencing anthropogenic change due to native invasion of grassland by eastern red cedar.

The seasonality of Haemaphysalis longicornis in the United States features overlapping life stages in spring and summer, partly because all stages can overwinter. To assess whether lipid reserves reflect physiological condition, Dr. Alvaro Toledo's lab measured lipid content in unfed, laboratory-reared ticks for up to 480 days. Lipids declined significantly over time in adults, nymphs, and larvae, indicating their usefulness for evaluating field population structure. Analysis of field-collected ticks (March–October) revealed distinct seasonal patterns: spring nymphs formed high- and low-lipid cohorts that overlapped in April and May; larvae showed higher lipid levels in spring than fall, suggesting that fall-active larvae do not overwinter; and adults displayed both high- and low-lipid groups throughout the season, consistent with a continuous influx of newly molted adults until late season, when only low-lipid individuals remained. Overall, physiological condition analysis revealed a complex univoltine life cycle with overlapping cohorts, particularly among adults.

Dr. Paul Leisnham's group used controlled field and laboratory trials to test the effects of various environmental variables, such as temperature, water quality, and vegetation, on the outcome of competition between the mosquitoes, A. albopictus and C. pipiens. They completed and submitted for publication a study in which we experimentally reared Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens in mesocosms containing leaf litter representative of neighborhoods across socioeconomic gradients in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC. They found that leaf litter typical of lower-income blocks, dominated by non-native tree species, enhanced mosquito survival, growth, and competitive dynamics compared to litter from higher-income blocks. These findings reveal a mechanistic pathway by which socioeconomic factors can indirectly influence mosquito population performance and, consequently, urban disease dynamics.

Dr. Jake Tu's research activities focused on finalizing the four haplotype-resolved genome assemblies and developing appropriate methods and tools to identify polymorphic SINE (Short Interspersed Nuclear Element) insertion sites throughout the genome. Using the finalized assemblies and new methods, they performed preliminary analyses indicating that at least ~5000 of the ~19000 insertions of one of the four SINE elements are polymorphic and a fraction of the 5000 are possibly strain specific. They have also begun to identify polymorphic SINE insertions from whole genome short read sequences of individual Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Preliminary results indicate that a significant portion of the insertions of the highly abundant SINE element is polymorphic. In the future, they will optimize and automate the analysis pipelines, perform detailed analysis of autosomal insertions of all four SINE elements to take full advantage of the available whole genome sequences of both sexes, and begin to identify population-specific SINE insertions.

Dr. Shi-Hua Xiang's group has been conducting anti-flaviviruses study and focusing on Zika, Dengue and West Nile viruses in collaboration with Kanas State University (Dr. Kristopher Silver’s group) and Southern Mississippi University (Dr. Fengwei Bai’s group). Three top-hit compounds from in-silico drug screening against the Triple-D motif of RdRp (POLcon). The cytotoxicity data (CC50) of these three compounds have been determined using standard MTT assay. The anti-viral activities against these three major viruses have also been evaluated and should be completed soon. Most of IC50 values are in the lower-micromolar range. We believe that a manuscript will be submitted for publication early next year.

1. Bird, E, V Pickens, C Olds, K Silver, D Nayduch. 2025. BALROG-ISO: a high-throuput pipeline for bacterial antimicrobial resistance annotation of genomes – isolate whole genome. microPublication Biology. DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001719.
2. Cooper, AMW, K Pfeiffer, KE Reif, KS Silver, DN Mitzel. 2025. Protocol for synchronizing waveforms and videos from electropenetrography studies of arthropods. Star Protocols. 6: 104038. DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104038
3. Cooper, A.M.W, CJ Osborne, V Pickens, K Pfeiffer, SB Jameson, A Rodrigo da Silva, KE Reif, DN Mitzel, KS Silver. 2025 A waveform library for the study of probing and ingestion behaviors of Culicoides sonorensisusing AC–DC electropenetrography. Parasites and Vectors 18: 265. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-025-06899-5.
4. Bird, E, V Pickens, D Molik, KS Silver, D Nayduch. 2025. BALROG-MON: a high-throughput pipeline for Bacterial AntimicrobiaL Resistance annOtation of Genomes-Metagenomic Oxford Nanopore. microPublication Biology. DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001427.
5. Nguyen VT, Dryden DS, Broder BA, Tadimari A, Tanachiwiwat P, Mathias DK, Thongsripong P, Reeves LE, Ali R, Gebhardt ME, Saili K, Simubali L, Simulundu E, Norris DE, Lee Y. 2025. A comprehensive review: biology of Anopheles squamosus, an understudied malaria vector in Africa. Insects. 16; 110. DOI: 10.3390/insects16020110.
6. Seok S, Blore K, Smoleroff S, Lee Y. Investigation of insecticide resistance profile of St. Johns County populations of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to permethrin. 2025. J Florida Mosq Cont Assoc. 72; 89-91. DOI: 10.32473/jfmca.72.1.139364.
7. Romero-Weaver AL, Nguyen VT, Bae J, Seok S, Bauer A, Magaletta O, Mullin M, Byrd BD, Clark M, Ber J, Harrison RL, Evans CL, Zohdy S, Allen B, Campbell LP, Killingsworth D, Giordano BV, Gray EW, Riegel C, Riles MT, Lee Y. Survey in the southeastern United States reveals the need for improved invasive mosquito surveillance. 2025. J Am Mosq Cont Assoc. 41; 77-85. DOI: 10.2987/25-7216.
8. Seok S, Vorsino AE, Collier TC, Hapairai L, Jacobson CM, Hasty JM, Romero-Weaver AL, Buckner EA, LaPointe DA, Leong M, Tabuloc CA, Chiu JC, Raban R, Akbari OS, Lee Y. 2025. Population genomics of Aedes albopictus across remote Pacific Islands for genetic biocontrol considerations. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 19; e0013414. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013414. PMCID: PMC12352873.
9. Nguyen VT, Ali RLMN, Burini BC, Dryden DS, Riddin MA, Saili K, Simulundu E, Reeves LE, Norries DE, Lee Y. (2025). A new assay for molecular identification of Anopheles squamosus (Diptera: Culicidae) using internal transcribed spacer 2. 2025. Malaria J. 24; 345. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-025-05600-6.
10. Seok S, McCollum MT, Jacobsen CM, Akbari OS, Mathias DK, Lee Y. 2025. Pyrethroid insecticide resistance of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) across the Hawaiian Islands. Parasites and Vectors. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7303372/v1.
11. Gonzalez J, Harvey C, Ribeiro-Silva CS, Leal-Galvan B, Persinger KA, Olafson PU, Johnson TL, Oliva Chavez A. 2025. Evaluation of tick salivary and midgut extracellular vesicles as anti-tick vaccines in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). 2025. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 16; 102420. DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102420. PMID: 39667072.
12. Cassens J, Oliva Chavez AS, Tufts DM, Zhong J, Faulk C, Oliver JD. Whole genome sequencing reveals clade-specific genetic variation in blacklegged ticks. 2025. Ecol Evol. 15; e70987. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70987. PMID: 39944902; PMCID: PMC11814477.
13. Oliva Chávez A, Gonzalez J, Harvey C, Ribeiro-Silva CS, Leal-Galvan B, Persinger KA, Durski S, Olafson PU, Johnson TL. 2025. Identification of potential Amblyomma americanum antigens after vaccination with tick extracellular vesicles in white-tailed deer. 2025. Vaccines. 13; 355. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines13040355. PMID: 40333200; PMCID: PMC12031118.
14. Marnin L, Valencia LM, Bogale HN, Laukaitis-Yousey HJ, Rolandelli A, Ferraz CR, O'Neal AJ, Schmitter-Sánchez AD, Cuevas EB, Nguyen TT, Leal-Galvan B, Rickert DM, Mendes MT, Samaddar S, Butler LR, Singh N, Cabrera Paz FE, Wu-Chuang A, Oliver JD, Jameson JM, Munderloh UG, Oliva Chávez AS, Mulenga A, Park S, Serre D, Pedra JHF. Tick Extracellular vesicles alter epidermal keratinocyte function. 2025. J Invest Dermatol. S0022-202X; 02414-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.08.037. PMID: 40915408; PMCID: PMC12603915.
15. Ortiz, Y. V., Casas, S. A., Tran, M. N. D., Decker, E. G., Saborit, I., Le, H. N., Caragata, E. P., Reeves, L. E., & Thongsripong, P. 2025. Mosquito population dynamics and blood host associations in two types of urban greenspaces in coastal Florida. Insects. 16; 233. DOI: 10.3390/insects16030233.
16. Ortiz, Y. V., Pacrez-Ramos, D. W., Caragata, E. P., and Thongsripong, P. 2025. Dengue and dengue virus in Florida. 2025. ENY2116/IN1438, 12/2024. EDIS. DOI: 10.32473/edis-in1438-2024.
17. Thongsripong, P., Ortiz, Y. V., Casas, S. A., & Buckner, E. A. (2025). From bites to bytes: Evaluating user engagement and mosquito bite exposure patterns with the bite diary smartphone application. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.24-0575.
18. Magistrado, D., & Short, S. M. 2025. Bacterial infection elicits the Aedes aegypti unfolded protein response. Open Biology. 15; 250207.
19. Kelly, B. J., Joseph, N. C., Magistrado, D., & Short, S. M. 2025. The effects of mating and blood feeding on the immune defense of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 19; e0013542.
20. Foo, A., Brettell, L. E., Nichols, H. L., et al.. 2025. MosAIC: An annotated collection of mosquito-associated bacteria with high-quality genome assemblies. PLoS Biology. 22; e3002897.
21. Roberts, C., J. Brown, M. Esoldo, K. Green, G. Z. Chambers, R. T. Marconi, B. Andrews, S. Thangamani, L. Durden, and E. T. Machtinger. 2025. Ectoparasite burden and tick-borne pathogen prevalence in eastern gray squirrels: A suburban risk factor for tick-borne disease. Journal of Medical Entomology. DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaf125.
22. M Schierer, SM De Urioste-Stone, and AM Gardner. 2025. An ecological and social approach to the distribution of vector and nuisance mosquito species across residential land use types. Journal of Medical Entomology. 62; 970-983.
23. SN Hurd and AM Gardner. 2025. Timber harvesting impacts small mammal foraging behavior and larval tick infestation. PLoS One. 20; e0325495.
24. GM Dill, TF Rounsville, Jr., AM Bryant, E Groden, and AM Gardner. 2024. Effects of Peromyscus spp. (Rodentia: Cricetidae) presence, land use, and ecotone on Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) ecology in an emergent area for tick-borne disease. Journal of Medical Entomology. 61; 1478-1488.
25. LE Price, JM Winter, JL Cantoni, DW Cozens, MA Linske, SC Williams, GM Dill, AM Gardner, SP Elias, TF Rounsville, Jr., RP Smith, Jr., MW Palace, C Herrick, MA Prusinski, P Casey, EM Doncaster, JDT Savage, DI Wallace, and X Shi. 2024. Spatial and temporal distribution of Ixodes scapularis and tick-borne pathogens across the northeastern United States. Parasites and Vectors. 17; e481.
26. BA Lieberthal, BF Allan, SM De Urioste-Stone, AJ Mackay, A Soliman, S Wang, and AM Gardner. 2024. The effects of seasonal human mobility and Aedes aegypti habitat suitability on Zika virus epidemic severity in Colombia. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 18; e001257.
27. AM Urcuqui-Bustamante, KC Perry, JE Leahy, AM Gardner, and C Sponarski. 2024. Psychosocial determinants of Lyme disease preventive behavior among outdoor recreationists. Environment and Behavior. 56; 59-93.
28. AM Urcuqui-Bustamante, KC Perry, JE Leahy, CC Sponarski, and AM Gardner. 2024. Factors influencing private woodland owners land management decisions on Lyme disease mitigation in Maine. Trees, Forests, and People. 7; e100603.
29. AE Ali, AM Gardner, HH Shugart, and JA Walter. 2024. Opposing patterns of spatial synchrony in Lyme disease incidence in the Northeast and upper Midwest US. EcoHealth. 21; 46-55.
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35. Park, P.M. Piermarini. 2025. Heat activation desensitizes Aedes aegypti transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (AaTRPA1) to chemical agonists that repel mosquitoes. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology. 209; 106326.
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43. McMillan JR, Sun J, Chaves LF, Armstrong PM. 2025. Using mosquito and arbovirus data to computationally predict West Nile virus in unsampled areas of the Northeast United States. PNAS Nexus. 4; pgaf227.
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46. Fernandez-Santos NA, Rodriguez-Pacrez MA, Segovia-Mancillas S, Rodriguez L, Hamer SA, Hamer GL, Correa-Morales F, Medina-Jaramillo S, Palacios-Mendoza MG, Cruz-Aldan E, Rodriguez-Dominguez G, Gomez-Hernandez CH, Larraga-Guillan A, López Gonzalez I, Rodriguez-Martinez LM, Ortega-Morales AI, Salazar-Sanchez MA, Valdez-Gamez HE, Marquez Ruiz MJ, Perteguer-Prieto MJ, Gómez-Gordillo BG, Aguilar-Duran JA, Becker Fauser ID, Weaver S, Turell M, Kramer L, Estrada-Franco JG. 2025. Proceedings from the Fourth Mesoamerican Symposium on Emerging Zoonotic Disease and Arboviruses: Commenting insights and research findings. Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine. 16; 65-89.
47. Beatty NL, Hamer GL, Moreno-Peniche B, Mayes B, Hamer SA. 2025. Chagas disease, an endemic disease in the United States of America. Emerg Infect Dis. 31;1691-1697.
48. Tian Y, DeWitt L, Almeida RS, Clark M, Obregon D, Adame S, Davis T, Mendez-Maio NE, Hamer, GL. 2025. A systematic review of the associations between mosquito and tick-borne diseases and vector research in the United States. Journal of Medical Entomology. 62; 1047-1056.
49. Salomon J, Montemayor H, Durden C, Abiara D, Busselman RE, Hamer GL, Hamer SA. 2025. Tick phenology, tick-host associations, and tick-borne pathogen surveillance in a recreational forest of East Texas, USA. PLoS ONE. 20; e0330826.
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Extension publications

1. Nguyen VT, Magaletta OR, Lee Y. Anopheles squamosus (Theobald, 1901) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae: Culicine). AskIFAS Featured Creatures Series. 2025. *** In Press ***
2. Bae JS, Lee Y. The empire strikes back: insect “carbonization” through hand sanitizer. UF/IFAS Blogs. 2025. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/entnemdept/2025/07/30/the-empire-strikes-back-insect-carbonization-through-hand-sanitizer/
3. Lee Y. Educational poster about Anopheles mosquitoes. UF/IFAS Blogs. 2025. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fmel/2025/07/04/anopheles_mosquito_educational_poster/

Alternative Media

1. Magaletta OR, Allen B, Campbell LP, Giordano BV, Gray EW, Killingsworth D, Riegel C, Riles MT, Lee Y. Educational Outcomes Delivered by the Mosquito BEACONS Invasive Mosquito Workshops (2021-2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=708sEZw-YR8
2. Blosser I, Lee Y. “My Mosquito Biology Coloring Book” Paperback: ISBN 9781304914729 [Lulu link][UF/IFAS Bookstore link]