Volume 23 Number 1 - Wing Beats - Wing Beats - Florida Mosquito ...

Public PowerPoint Presentations and Pupae by Adrian L Salinas
One of my duties at the Collier
Mosquito Control District in
Naples, Florida, is to rear Aedes
aegypti for public educational
events. I learned how to rear
mosquitoes years ago from
Johnny Jackson at the USDA
Center for Medical and Veterinary
Entomology Laboratory, in
Gainesville, from Mike Greer at
the Public Health Entomology
Research and Education Center
in Panama City, and by reading
the Manual for Mosquito Rearing
and Experimental Techniques,
published by the AMCA. During
community events, we discuss
the mosquito life cycle and use
live mosquito larvae for school
science programs. PowerPoint
presentations, classroom
activities, and information
booths are great, but adding
live wigglers always gets
everyone’s attention. A few days
before each event, I hatch the
mosquito eggs, sprinkle the
water with food and then watch
them grow. For school projects,
such as a bioassay, I use second
to third instar larvae or I may
need all the stages for a public
information event. Also, rearing
to replenish egg stock is a vital
ongoing process. One of the
more interesting times of the
rearing process is anticipating
the change from the fourth
instar to pupae. What I work
towards is a high percentage,
synchronized change to pupae.
I get really excited when I go to
the insectary and see trays of
pure pupae, as pictured above.
So, the next time you see pupae,
think of me pouring thousands
into a sieve, with a smile on
my face, as I put them into the
rearing cages.
Adrian L Salinas
Public Information Officer
asalinas@cmcd.org
Collier Mosquito Control District
600 North Road
Naples, FL 34104
239-436-1000
Wing Beats Spring 2012 15