Vector-potential
Guides
Anopheles earlei
Anopheles earlei is a small mosquito species distributed throughout North America. Its larvae develop in cold, clear water in ponds and other small water bodies containing vegetation. Adults feed on vertebrate blood including cattle, white-tailed deer, humans, snowshoe hares, and dogs. The species is among the less abundant Anopheles species in surveyed regions of the northern United States.
Cimex lectularius
common bed bug, bed bug
Cimex lectularius is a hematophagous ectoparasite in the family Cimicidae, primarily associated with human dwellings. The species has undergone a global resurgence since the late 1990s following decades of suppression by DDT and other insecticides. Populations show documented resistance to multiple insecticide classes including pyrethroids and pyrroles. The species comprises at least two host-associated lineages: one feeding on humans and another on bats.
Liohippelates collusor
eye gnat
Liohippelates collusor is a species of eye gnat in the family Chloropidae, recognized as a significant pest of humans and animals in the United States since the 1930s. Along with Liohippelates pusio, it has been the focus of extensive research on biology, ecology, and management. The species causes considerable discomfort and stress through persistent attraction to eyes, wounds, and body openings, and may transmit pathogens. Its biology and life cycle have been well studied in agricultural systems, though its ecological roles in natural ecosystems remain poorly documented.
Micropygomyia vexator
Micropygomyia vexator is a small moth fly species in the subfamily Phlebotominae (sand flies), described by Coquillett in 1907. It belongs to the genus Micropygomyia, which is characterized by reduced wing venation and small body size. Like other phlebotomine sand flies, it is presumed to have blood-feeding females, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. The species has been recorded in the Americas.
Shelfordella lateralis
Turkestan cockroach, red runner cockroach, rusty red cockroach
Shelfordella lateralis, commonly known as the Turkestan cockroach, is an invasive cockroach species native to Central Asia that has established populations in the southwestern United States, Europe, and other regions. It is primarily an outdoor species that inhabits water meter boxes, concrete cracks, compost piles, leaf litter, and sewer systems. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism: males are winged and capable of flight, while females have reduced wings. S. lateralis is displacing the oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) in many areas of California and the southwestern U.S. due to faster maturation and higher reproductive output. It has become a significant urban pest in some regions and carries antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria, raising public health concerns.