Page 36 - LIN DEC WEB

These STEM Women Are Buzz Kills

by Patrick Linn, MS, MSHAPI
Executive Director, Collier Mosquito Control District

he latest U.S. Census reports that only 27% of workers in
STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers are Keira J. Lucas, Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Director • 4.5 years at CMCD
Twomen, but at Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD),
Ph.D. in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics
100% of the agency’s science department is staffed by women,
including two with advanced degrees. from the University of California, Riverside.
For our area’s mosquitoes, they present a real buzz kill. “My focus in vector biology and mosquito-borne
From identifying mosquito species new to our area to conducting disease led me to mosquito control. My research interests have
industry-leading research, these women are making a difference blossomed into understanding the ecology and physiology
locally and globally. In 2021 alone, a few of their accomplishments of each targeted mosquito species and tailoring management
included: plans to their specific vulnerabilities. Using applied sciences
• Detecting four mosquito species not seen previously in Collier and working with a diverse group of professionals at CMCD to
County, including the Aedes scapularis, which is capable of develop a science-based approach to mosquito control and make
transmitting yellow fever, lymphatic filariasis and Venezuelan a difference in our community has been especially rewarding.”
Equine Encephalitis. These mosquitoes were found in traps
placed throughout the District.
• Testing trapped mosquitoes’ RNA in CMCD’s PCR machine
(a routine weekly activity) revealed West Nile virus in the area’s
mosquitoes in June, which prompted notification to the Collier Rebecca Heinig, Ph.D.
Director of Research • Ph.D. in Entomology
Health Department and media alerts to inform the public to
from The Pennsylvania State University
take precautions.
3 years at CMCD
• By invitation only, the research team conducted ground
testing of a vendor’s new mosquito control material that could “I’m a medical entomologist at heart, so CMCD
potentially revolutionize the industry. has been a uniquely rewarding place to work. On the
entomological side, I’ve already identified six new species
that hadn’t been recorded in the county before, bringing
Rachel Bales our total number of known species to 50. On the human
Biologist • BA in Marine Science, health side, we monitor a number of endemic arboviruses
Florida Gulf Coast University • 5 years at CMCD such as West Nile virus, but we also have some novel
arboviruses whose significance isn’t clear yet, giving our
“I love the versatility of my duties at CMCD. work a real sense of urgency and purpose. When you add
Every day – be it in the field, lab, the sky, or outreach in a supportive community and leadership that prioritizes
events – I feel fortunate that I can utilize what I have studied strong science as a foundation for integrated mosquito
to make a meaningful impact in our community.” management, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

List of publications/research posters
• New county records for mosquito species in southwest Florida (in • The impact of Hurricane Irma on our community and the Collier
progress). Heinig RL et al. Mosquito Control District’s mission. J Am Mosq Control Assoc.
• Operational analysis of Collier Mosquito Control District’s BG- 36(2s): 11-14. King RA, Heinig R, Linn P, Lucas KJ*. (2020)
Counter program (in progress). Heinig RL et al. • Oxidase, esterase and kdr-associated pyrethroid resistance
• KDR genotyping in Collier County FL Aedes aegypti populations. identified in Culex quinquefasciatus field collections from Collier
Bales RB, Lucas KJ County, Florida. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 36(1):22–32. Lucas KJ*,
• Biologist Analysis of the Voltage-gated Sodium Channel (VGSC) Bales RB, McCoy KD, Weldon C. (2020)
target site mutation, L1014F, and pyrethroid resistance in Culex • The impact of Hurricane Irma on population density of the Black
quinquefasciatus field populations from Collier County, FL. Lucas Salt Marsh Mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann), in Collier
KJ*, Bales RB, McCoy K, Weldon C. County, Florida. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 35(1):71–74. Lucas KJ*,
• Evaluation of emergence trap design for the collection of Mansonia Watkins A, Phillips N, Appazatto DJ, Linn P. (2019)
mosquitoes associated with Pistia stratiotes. J Am Mosq Control
Assoc. Bales RB, Brake P, Minio M, Weiss A, Lucas KJ*. (in
preparation)
• Ornamental bromeliads of local Botanical Gardens serve as larval Want to know more about the science behind mosquito control? Looking
production sites for pyrethroid-resistant Culex quinquefasciatus for someone to speak to your group’s next meeting? Visit the District’s
in Collier County, Florida. J Florida Mosq Control Assoc. 68: 14-23. website at cmcd.org or call 239.436.1000.
Watkins A, Babcock E, Lucas KJ*. (2021)
36 Life in Naples | December 2021