Vectech features three presentations at AMCA 2025 on automated mosquito identification technologies
March 7, 2025, San Juan, PR
A contingent of eight Vectech employees joined mosquito control practitioners, medical entomologists, and mosquito researchers from around the US and globally for the American Mosquito Control Association annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico from March 3 to March 7th. Vectech team members lead three presentations:
Technical progress of Scout, an imaging attachment using artificial intelligence for remote automated assessment of vector abundance and species diversity in mosquito traps. - This 10 minute talk by Technical Product Manager, Jewell Brey, presented in the “New Vector Control Tools: UAS and Artificial Intelligence" section, discussed recent progress on Vectech’s smart mosquito trap, Scout, which allows users to get information remotely about which mosquitoes are entering the trap without having to visit the trap, retrieve the catch bag, and identify the specimens in the lab. Jewell presented on attractivity metrics, hardware updates, and early algorithm accuracy metrics. It also included a sneak peak to developing Scout for usage with Sterile Insect Technique programs (SIT).
Improving IDX artificial intelligence vector identification tool for the identification of cryptic species: Culex pipiens pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus - This 10 minute talk by Entomologist and Lab Manager, Hannah Markle, presented in the “New Vector Control Tools: UAS and Artificial Intelligance” section, discussed recent research in collaboration with Utah State University’s Norah Saarman to collect submissions of Culex pipiens s.l. specimens from around the United States for molecular identification between Cx pipiens pipiens and Cx quinquefasciatus, and their hybrids. In the process, specimens would be imaged with IDX for inclusion in fine grained species identification experiments with Vectech’s IDX algorithms, to support development of this capability in deployed IDX algorithms. Prior evidence had indicated a shifting hybridization boundary between Cx pipiens pipiens and Cx quinquefasciatus, prompting this work. Initial results indicated viability for visual based differentiation, however more data is required for the development of a stable and precise deployed algorithm. This work is ongoing.
A glance under the hood: visualizing what artificial intelligence algorithms are using to make their amazing (and sometimes not so amazing) species identification predictions - This lightning fast 3 minute talk by Computer Vision Technical Lead, Thomas Jenkins, was presented in the Mosquito Lightning Round Symposium. Thomas shared visualizations and interpretations of why IDX algorithms make the predictions they do, what we can do about it, and how we can take advantage of it.
Thank you to all who saw the talks and got technical in discussions afterwards. We love supporting and contributing to this research community!
About Vectech:
Vectech, Inc is a Baltimore-MD based Public Benefit Corporation that specializes in AI applications for the identification, detection, and monitoring of damaging insects. Vectech’s applications support mosquito control districts, international health, and academic research in achieving their goals. Learn more: https://www.vectech.io/
Media Contact:
Autumn Goodwin
[email protected]
