2011 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) To devise innovative methods for the suppression of insects that transmit diseases to U.S. military deployed abroad. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Design and evaluate new insect bioassay cages. Identify and test compounds with insecticidal activity that makes them especially beneficial in the rapid control of mosquitoes, flies, and other arthropods responsible for carrying disease agents. Devise innovative means of applying control agents especially suited for use in combat or deployment conditions. 3.Progress Report This is a new project being conducted under the DoD Deployed WarFighter Protection Program. It is a sister project to the expired 6202-22000-028-09R and is continuing and expanding upon the work of that project. The goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of:. 1)sprayers and methods used to make adult and barrier treatments in military settings; and. 2)the current methodology/protocols used to evaluate the efficacy of field-applied sprays. In FY 2011, eight unique sprayers were evaluated for spray droplet size. Each was tested using generic spray solutions across the full operational ranges of spray pressure, nozzle setting, and flow rate. The data from these tests are being incorporated into a smartphone application that will be made available to the user communities. Using aircraft provided by the U.S. Air Force, Youngstown, OH, field trials were conducted in conjunction with personnel of the U.S. Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Jacksonville, FL, and ARS scientists at Gainesville, FL. These studies focused on measuring spray movement and insect mortality in an open field and within vegetative canopies. Work by this project, as it continues, will develop improved technologies and protocols for military applications of pesticides in order to better protect U.S. WarFighters from pest and disease-transmitting arthropods.