The primary vector of malaria in the eastern United States, Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Say), was recently discovered to be a complex of five different cryptic species: A - An. quadrimaculatus, B - An. smaragdinus, C1 - An. diluvialis, C2 - An. Inundatus, D - An. maverlius (Reinert et al. 1997). In this research project, the goals were to determine which species were found in Texas, establish overall distribution patterns of those species, and observe the dates in which each specimens were collected so that any seasonal changes in species could be observed. Both An. quadrimaculatus (A) and An. smaragdinus (B) were identified from collections made throughout Texas from September 2002 through January 2005. Anopheles smaragdinus only made up 3% of the total specimens collected and neither An. inundatus nor An. maverlius were collected in Texas, even though they have both been collected in neighboring Parishes in Louisiana. Anopheles. quadrimaculatus' habitat and geographic range was found to be more extensive than An. smaragdinus. While An. smaragdinus was found only in the easternhalf of Texas with no collection south of Fort Bend County, An. quadrimaculatus was found throughout the eastern half of Texas, many of the southern Golf coast counties, and a few counties in far west Texas. The most common land cover where An. quadrimaculatus specimens were collected was on pasture/hay fields. This is very different from An. smaragdinus specimens in that pasture/hay was one of the least common land covers and the dominant land cover was woody wetlands. Overall, An. smaragdinus was usually associated with land covers that could provide shelter, while An. quadrimaculatus could be found among habitat that was more open and urban. There was no observed change in the species composition over time in this study. In fact, when An. smaragdinus was collected, An. quadrimaculatus was usually collected at the same time. Both An. quadrimaculatus and An. smaragdinus were collected throughout late spring, summer and early fall. Of course, the collection times of these species could have been an artifact of when most of the collectors were looking for An. quadrimaculatus (Say) specimens.

The primary vector of malaria in the eastern United States, Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Say), was recently discovered to be a complex of five different cryptic species: A - An. quadrimaculatus, B - An. smaragdinus, C1 - An. diluvialis, C2 - An. Inundatus, D - An. maverlius (Reinert et al. 1997). In this research project, the goals were to determine which species were found in Texas, establish overall distribution patterns of those species, and observe the dates in which each specimens were collected so that any seasonal changes in species could be observed. Both An. quadrimaculatus (A) and An. smaragdinus (B) were identified from collections made throughout Texas from September 2002 through January 2005. Anopheles smaragdinus only made up 3% of the total specimens collected and neither An. inundatus nor An. maverlius were collected in Texas, even though they have both been collected in neighboring Parishes in Louisiana. Anopheles. quadrimaculatus' habitat and geographic range was found to be more extensive than An. smaragdinus. While An. smaragdinus was found only in the easternhalf of Texas with no collection south of Fort Bend County, An. quadrimaculatus was found throughout the eastern half of Texas, many of the southern Golf coast counties, and a few counties in far west Texas. The most common land cover where An. quadrimaculatus specimens were collected was on pasture/hay fields. This is very different from An. smaragdinus specimens in that pasture/hay was one of the least common land covers and the dominant land cover was woody wetlands. Overall, An. smaragdinus was usually associated with land covers that could provide shelter, while An. quadrimaculatus could be found among habitat that was more open and urban. There was no observed change in the species composition over time in this study. In fact, when An. smaragdinus was collected, An. quadrimaculatus was usually collected at the same time. Both An. quadrimaculatus and An. smaragdinus were collected throughout late spring, summer and early fall. Of course, the collection times of these species could have been an artifact of when most of the collectors were looking for An. quadrimaculatus (Say) specimens.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is an arthropod-borne Alphavirus in the family Togaviridae. Sindbis virus has a broad host range that includes avian, mammalian, and human hosts; therefore, its receptor(s) is/are highly conserved. When the mosquito imbibes a viremic blood meal, the virus infects the midgut cells, disseminates into the hemolymph, and eventually infects the salivary glands. The midgut is an organ of transmission and the virus must overcome the midgut epithelia infection- and escape-barriers. Sindbis virus infection is determined by the chance collision of the glycoproteins with a compatible receptor. Research has supported the involvement of high-affinity laminin receptor and heparan sulfate in SINV binding to host cells. However, it has been suggested that not all strains of SINV are dependent on heparan sulfate for attachment/entry and that SINV could be utilizing multiple receptors. A study using Drosophila demonstrated that, of the nine genes that encode for proteins that enhance SINV infection, only natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) was conserved. A symporter of divalent metals and hydrogen ions, NRAMP is ubiquitously expressed. Overexpression of NRAMP led to an increase in SINV infection of human cells while deletion of NRAMP in mouse and Drosophila decreased SINV infection. Sindbis virus could be utilizing this protein to overcome the infection barriers of mosquito midgut epithelia. In this study, NRAMP was localized to Aedes aegypti and Anopheles quadrimaculatus tissues via immunofluorescence assay and TR339-TaV-eGFP was detected in the midgut epithelia and visceral muscles. We suspect that NRAMP was detected on midguts and/or Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles quadrimaculatus. The similarities between the pattern of NRAMP labeling and TR339-TaV-eGFP infection of the midgut suggest that SINV infection is influenced by NRAMP in the midgut epithelia. Because NRAMP is ubiquitously expressed, this research provides insight into the attachment and entry phase of the arbovirus lifecycle.