Self-Extinction for the Mosquito 
Recent genetic achievements 
with mosquitoes suggest that 
it may be possible to breed 
them out of existence in the By A. H. Drummond, Jr. 
wild. But what will this do to 
aquatic and marine food webs 
that depend upon the mosquito? 
It’s the end of a long, hot, sweltering day. You shower away the day’s 
fatigue and slip into bed ready for a good night’s sleep. Then, just as you 
begin to drift off, an ominous hum penetrates your consciousness, and you 
are wide awake, alert, angry and sweating. You lie perfectly still, every 
sensory-nerve ending atingle, waiting for just the right moment to strike 
the intruder down, Astonishing as it may seem, mentally and physiologically 
your condition closely approximates that of a boxer about to go into the 
ring. But you’re in your own bed, in the quiet of your own home. 
The cause of this extraordinary and traumatic anxiety in one of nature’s 
most refined and complex creatures? An insect scarcely more than a quarter 
inch in length, and weighing but a fraction of an ounce. The experience 
cited above is so common it isn’t even necessary to name the insect—the 
mosquito. Mosquitoes are found almost everywhere, the only exceptions 
being the ice-bound areas surrounding the poles, the driest desert areas, 
and mountain elevations over 12,000 to 14,000 feet. The mosquito de- 
scribed in the short episode above is nothing more than a nuisance. This 
nuisance value, however, extends beyond interference with man’s sleep or 
his pleasure. Mosquitoes in many areas of the world are responsible for 
the loss of valuable land. They also reduce the health and productivity of 
vast numbers of livestock. 
While the mosquito’s importance as a pest in economic terms is very 
great, itis perhaps more important as a carrier of disease. It has been said 
that-no other insect matches the mosquito in terms of spreading human 
sickness. The run-down is indeed impressive. Malaria is carried by Anoph- 
eles mosquitoes, and is still a major threat to man in many parts of the 
world. Yellow fever and dengue are carried by Aedes mosquitoes, the 
Species used in the genetic research that will be described in this article. 
Numerous other virus diseases, but especially encephalitis, are carried by 
mosquitoes also. Clearly, any efficient method for reducing mosquito 
_ populations will be welcomed especially if the method does not threaten 
harm to the environment or upset well-established food chains. 
Mosquitoes have long been important research animais because of 
their biological and medical significance. Until about ten years ago, 
however, the major research emphasis was on bionomics, physiology, and 
_ the public health importance of the insects. This situation changed early in 
the 1950s when it was discovered that mosquitoes were becoming increas- 
_ingly resistant to DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. Then, 
during the 1960s the serious threat of these pesticides to the environment 
further emphasized the need to find a better a to control mosquitoes 
and other insects. 
