Culicidology (MOSQUITOES) with Dr. Fhallon Ware-Gilmore
PART 1: They’re gorgeous. They’re picky moms, and tremendous flirts. They are sparkly. And they drink blood. We hopped on the line with mosquito researcher, medical entomologist, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, and Culicidologist, Dr. Fhallon Ware-Gilmore to chat about mozzies. Why do skeeters bite you, specifically? Which ones should we watch out for? Why do they make high-pitched sounds? WHAT DO THEIR HELL MOUTHS LOOK LIKE? And how can I learn to love them? But also, how can I keep them away from me? Scream in your date's face and drink blood, if you’re a mosquito, because things are about to heat up. Next week: we’ll cover diseases and repellents, just for you.
Listen via Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
PART 2: Part 2 of mosquitoes is here! Now that you know WHY they would like to eat you mosquito expert and Culicidologist, Dr. Fhallon Ware-Gilmore of the CDC gives us SOLUTIONS. How do we avoid bites? Why do they itch so much? Which repellents are safe for whom? What should you use in your yard? Does climate change mean an ongoing hellscape thick with mosquitos? Could Jurassic Park happen? What if mosquitoes were to, say… go extinct? Also: how do we learn to love these things that vex us?
Listen via Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow Dr. Ware-Gilmore on Google Scholar and X
Dr. Ware-Gilmore trained at the McGrawLab
A donation went to Malaria No More
Links to things we discussed:
Science Photo Library: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy: Mosquitoes
Wikipedia: List of Deadliest Animals to Humans
Why mosquitoes are considered the world's deadliest animal
WHO Fact Sheet: Vector-Borne Diseases
VDCI’s 2022 Mosquito-Borne Disease Year in Review
Wildlife photo: Is this the world's most beautiful mosquito?
Robust network stability of mosquitoes and human pathogens of medical importance
Differential attraction in mosquito–human interactions and implications for disease control
Variability in human attractiveness to mosquitoes
Mosquito sounds! The buzzing noises and hum of mosquitoes close to the microphones
Three Disease-Transmitting Mosquitoes You Should Know
How much blood does a mosquito take in a meal?
Surveillance of mosquitoes harnessing their buzzing sound
How mosquitoes tell the difference between animal and human hosts (and why it matters)
Mosquito hearing: sound-induced antennal vibrations in male and female Aedes aegypti
The Antiviral Effects of the Symbiont Bacteria Wolbachia in Insects
EPA Approves Emergency Exemption for Wolbachia Mosquitoes to Protect Endangered Birds in Hawaii
Hematophagous Endeavors, Fact and Fancy
Short-Term Alternating Temperature Enhances Histamine-Induced Itch: A Biphasic Stimulus Model
These Mosquito-Thwarting Gadgets Have Been Wirecutter Favorites for 5 Years. (No Citronella Here.)
Differential attraction in mosquito–human interactions and implications for disease control
A subpopulation of nociceptors specifically linked to itch
Dr. Fhallon Ware-Gilmore’s paper, “Microbes increase thermal sensitivity in the mosquito Aedes aegypti, with the potential to change disease distributions”
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Acaropathology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE)
Native Melittology (INDIGENOUS BEES)
Environmental Toxicology (POISONS)
Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER)
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn