Willem Takken's research
After the Second World War much entomological research was undertaken from the concept that most pest problems caused by insects could be solved by application of insecticides.
Research
Chemical control was considered cheap, effective and safe. It is now realized that this approach was non-sustainable. Already in the early days of chemical control the Laboratory of Entomology choose a different approach for its research, with emphasis on alternative methods of control. Initially the research focused on insect physiology i.e. hormonal regulation of insect development and resulted in the discovery of insect growth regulators as modern and selective control agents. Subsequently much work was done (and continues to be done) on the physiology of insect/plant interactions and the ecology of parasite/host and predator/prey interactions. In the last decade research on arthropod vectors of human and animal diseases complemented the research at the Laboratory.
The Laboratory of Entomology conducts fundamental and applied research. Fundamental scientific research concerns 5 topics:
- Host plant selection by herbivorous insects and mites;
- Chemical communication between plants and carnivorous insects and mites;
- Foraging behaviour of predators and parasitoids;
- Population dynamics of parasitoids
- Evolutionary ecology of asexual reproduction in insects.
Applied research is narrowly associated with the fundamental research, and includes the following topics:
- Development of biological and integrated pest management in greenhouses, orchards and field crops;
- Mechanisms of host-plant resistance;
- Biological and integrated control of pests and vectors in the tropics
Publications
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A global assembly of adult female mosquito mark-release-recapture data to inform the control of mosquito-borne pathogens
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Development and optimization of the Suna trap as a tool for mosquito monitoring and control
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
A push-pull system to reduce house entry of malaria mosquitoes
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Circulation of four Anaplasma phagocytophilum ecotypes in Europe
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7, Issue: 1 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Perspective Piece: Needs for Monitoring Mosquito Transmission of Malaria in a Pre-Elimination World
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2014), Volume: 90, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0002-9637 - p. 6-10. -
Blood feeding on large grazers affects the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by Ixodes ricinus
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (2014), Volume: 5, Issue: 6 - ISSN 1877-959X - p. 810-817. -
Repellent Activities of Essential Oils of Some Plants Used Traditionally to Control the Brown Ear Tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus
Journal of Parasitology Research (2014), Volume: 2014 - ISSN 2090-0023 -
Absence of Close-Range Excitorepellent Effects in Malaria Mosquitoes Exposed to Deltamethrin-Treated Bed Nets
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2014), Volume: 90, Issue: 6 - ISSN 0002-9637 - p. 1124-1132. -
Wolbachia infection does not alter attraction of the mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti to human odours
Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2014), Volume: 28, Issue: 4 - ISSN 0269-283X - p. 457-460. -
Field evaluation of a novel synthetic odour blend and of the synergistic role of carbon dioxide for sampling host-seeking Aedes albopictus adults in Rome, Italy
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7 - ISSN 1756-3305