Males aren't relevant -- at least when it comes to disease transmission by mosquitoes.
Researchers with the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech
have identified a gene responsible for sex determination in mosquitoes
that can transmit yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses.
Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood for developing
eggs, and researchers believe that a higher ratio of males could reduce
disease transmission.In a study published in the Science Express, the scientists identify a male-determining genetic switch called Nix in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that underlies the difference between males and females.
These master switches often reside in genomic black holes, which is why none had been found in mosquitoes or other insects before.
