Efficacy Studies

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Insect Insight

Most of the insects that ICR runs studies on are of urban or medical importance. Below you will find insight into some of our test species and their impact on the public, as well as an overview of our testing practices with them. To view all of the species reared at ICR visit our current insect colonies section.

Mosquitoes

(Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus)

Mosquitoes are major vectors in disease transmission. They are able to transmit diseases such as yellow fever, malaria and several types of encephalitis (including West Nile virus) to humans and other mammals, as well as heartworm disease to dogs. Only the females take a bloodmeal. Currently ICR has two colonies of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (yellowfever mosquito) and Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito).

The yellowfever mosquito is probably the most widely colonized mosquito species. This mosquito can be easily maintained in the laboratory and may be sexed mechanically. The latter attribute is essential for providing groups of only females for use in a topical repellent test. Aedes aegypti used in testing need to be of the same age so that their aggressiveness is as uniform as possible.

The southern house mosquito is noted as a vector of West Nile Virus. Both it and Aedes aegypti are found all around the world from temperate to tropical latitudes.

Common Tests:

Body Lice

(Pediculus humanus humanus)

The body louse is a sucking louse, and both males and females feed on blood. They are an urban pest that will live in/on clothes and bedding of unsanitary people. They are notable as being vectors of louseborne relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis) and most notably, louseborne typhus (Rickettsia prowazekii); the disease that helped defeat Napoleonic armies and tormented millions in eastern Europe during and after World War I. We currently have the only North American colony of body lice and can test many different age groups as well as nits.

Common Tests:

Body Louse Testing

Bed Bugs

(Cimex lectularius)

Bed bugs are a growing pest of urban importance, more and more frequently being found in luxury hotels. They can arrive in the luggage of some international travelers and become residents in the hotel room. Both males and females are blood feeders and will feed on birds and mammals (including bats and rodents). Although not vectors of disease agents, they are a nuisance biting pest and very difficult to control due to their behavior. They spend little time on the host, coming out most frequently at night to feed. After feeding they retreat into crevices where treatment is difficult to reach.

Common Tests:

Fogging

Cockroaches

(Blattella germanica, Periplaneta americana, Supella longipalpa, Blatta orientalis)

Cockroaches are one of the most bothersome urban pests. Although they have only rarely been implicated in human disease outbreaks, laboratory experiments demonstrated that they are capable of contaminating food and other objects with human disease organisms. Cockroaches are a source of allergens that affect many inner city residents. The most commonly tested are German, American, brown-banded and Oriental. Either sex or an equal mix may be selected for evaluation, depending upon the clients preference.

Common Tests:

Ticks

(Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus)

Ticks are vectors of several diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease and Ehrlichiosis and are therefore an important group of arthropod pests. We are capable of testing several species of ticks, such as deer ticks, American and brown dog ticks. Deer ticks are not easily reared, and we obtain them for studies from only a few sources. Evaluations with deer ticks must be planned 2 to 4 months in advance, as our supplier must rear a cohort of ticks specifically for our needs. Tests with dog ticks can be scheduled more promptly.

Common Tests:

Direct Spray - Knockdown

Cat Fleas

(Ctenocephalides felis)

Fleas are a nuisance to both humans and animals, and are associated with transmitting several diseases and parasites. Some examples include the dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) and cat scratch disease (Bartonella henselii). The oriental rat flea (Xenposylla cheopis) is capable of transmitting plague (bubonic, systemic and pneumonic).

Stable Flies

(Stomoxys calcitrans)

The stable fly is a common pest of man and animals worldwide. Both the male and the female are blood feeders and inflict painful bites. They are potentially effective disease vectors to animals, but have not been effective as vectors of human disease. They are aggressive flies and will work hard to obtain their blood meal.

Common Tests:

House Dust Mites

(Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus)

House dust mites are tiny creatures; about half the size of the period at the end of this sentence. They do not sting, but are one of the leading causes of allergies. Nine percent of the human population is affected by exposure to the dust mites, primarily the cast skins they shed and feces they produce, mostly from inhalation. House dust mites live on the dander that all people and their pets produce, and are found in furniture, bedding, and other indoor microhabitats. We rear two species at ICR, the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and the European house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus).

Common Tests:

Direct Spray Knockdown