An international team studied juvenile hormone, a molecule that regulates development, reproduction, and behavior in insects. They produced genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — carriers of deadly diseases including yellow fever, dengue, and zika — that cannot make juvenile hormone. The mutants could still mate and have babies. Just not as many as their juvenile hormone-producing counterparts
The more we know about mosquito reproduction biology will help control populations of insects we want less of, like mosquitoes. But it can also help us improve reproduction success and boost the populations of insects we need more of!