** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ADDRESSES AFRI FARM BILL PRIORITY AREA: ANIMAL HEALTH, PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS (AHPAP): 2D. DISEASES OF AGRICULTURAL ANIMALS (A1221). THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL VECTOR CONTROL INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE BY INFORMING PRODUCERS AND APPLICATORS OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLETHAL PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS RELATED TO INCREASED PATHOGEN TRANSMISSION. CULICOIDES BITING MIDGES, WHICH DEVELOP IN MANURE ENRICHED WATER ON FARMS, ARE EXPOSED TO INSECTICIDE RESIDUALS FROM IGR TREATED MANURE AND RUN OFF FROM PYRETHROID POUR-ONS. ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS, SUCH AS PESTICIDES, DEVELOPMENTALLY WEAKEN ARTHROPODS WHEN ENCOUNTERED AS LARVAE, AS RESOURCES ARE SHUNTED TOWARDS DETOXIFICATION MECHANISMS AND AWAY FROM IMMUNE PATHWAYS IN ATTEMPT TO SURVIVE SUBLETHAL DOSES. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT DIFFERENTIAL GENE EXPRESSION PLAYS A FUNDAMENTAL OUTCOME IN CULICOIDES' VECTOR COMPETENCE FOR BLUETONGUE VIRUS (BTV), AT THE DETRIMENT OF RUMINANTS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL EXAMINE BTV INFECTION IN MIDGES EXPOSED TO SUBLETHAL INSECTICIDE DOSES AS LARVAE. EXPOSED MIDGES WITH SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DISSEMINATION RATES THAN UNEXPOSED MIDGES WILL BE CONSIDERED TO PRESENT AN INCREASED RISK OF TRANSMISSION TO LIVESTOCK. IN CONJUNCTION TO THE GOALS OUTLINED, THE RESULTS GATHERED HERE WILL SUPPORT FUTURE WORK WITH OTHER PESTS (I.E. MOSQUITOES, SANDFLIES, ETC.) THAT ARE ALSO OF DIRECT CONCERN AS DISEASE VECTORS.