Premier Presentation: Field trials of autocidal approaches to suppress Aedes albopictus

The success of new paradigms often depend on novel synergies, and the development of new control approaches against mosquitoes is no exception. The need for new mosquito control methods is urgent, for reasons including new examples of invasive vector species establishment, growing problems with insecticide resistance and the global spread of mosquito-borne pathogens, e.g., Chikungunya virus, which is currently above one million cases in the Americas. Autocidal control approaches use mosquitoes as ‘self-delivering’ vehicles to distribute a pesticide and affect the targeted mosquito population. Developing this type of approach requires communication and coordination between diverse groups, including industry-producers of chemical insecticides, insect ecologists, federal and local regulators, experts in insect rearing, and abatement district managers. Public engagement is also a critical component, because understanding and support is required for the uptake and adoption of the new approaches.  As examples, two autocidal approaches will be presented: Wolbachia as a microbial biopesticide, and an additional approach in which male mosquitoes serve to deliver a potent pupacide (pyriproxyfen) to breeding sites. In both examples, the work has started with laboratory trials, continued through regulatory consideration and discussions with members of the pesticide industry, and is now at the stage of field trials. In this presentation, the development of the autocidal strategies will be summarized, focusing on recent research with Aedes albopictus and highlighting progress to date, recent data and future plans.