We investigated the number of Indian meal moths (Plodia interpunctella) captured by pheromone traps placed both inside and outside residential buildings in the Kanto region of Japan. The survey was conducted at 2 sites in Tokyo, 1 site in Saitama, 1 site in Kanagawa, and 1 site in Ibaraki, during October and November of 2016. At each survey site, traps were placed inside and outside residential buildings: indoor traps were placed on kitchen walls near refrigerators or cupboards, while outdoor traps were placed under eaves or on balcony floors. By the indoor traps at the Hachioji, Tokyo, three adult Indian meal moths were captured that were considered to have entered the building from outside. At the other sites, however, the indoor traps captured no moths. On the other hand, the outdoor traps captured 145 adults in total. These results show that P. interpunctella was active outdoors during October and November, although fewer moths were captured by the pheromone traps in November.

The habitat of the moth fly, Clogmia albipunctata was investigated from January 2016 through March 2017 in nonhuman primate rooms for macaque monkeys in the Center for Experimental Animals in the National Institutes of Natural Sciences. The results have definitely shown that macaque rooms were the most important breeding places for the moth flies because they adhere to monkey hairs on drain pipes and in ditches. Based on our studies, toilet traps, sewage pipes, and ditches of breeding cages were considered to be the sources of the moth fly. We also observed that the number of the moth flies was associated with outside air temperature and the design of sewage pipes. Integrated pest management effectively reduced the number of moth flies in the experimental animal facility.

We collected Norway rats outside buildings in a 21-hectare business district in Yokohama and examined a zoonotic parasite, rat lungworms Angiostrongylus cantonensis, in them. Infection rates of the parasite in rats two months old or older were 4.9％ (2/41) in February 2015, 18.5％ (5/27) in February 2016, and 28.6％ (6/21) in February 2017. The infection rate in 2017 was significantly higher than that in 2015 (P＝0.05).

Nymphal and adult German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) were sucked up with a vacuum cleaner. The cockroaches were then kept at 25°C. The cockroaches were observed after one day. All cockroaches tested were dead, and most of them were crushed. Abdomens of some cockroaches were separated from bodies. Most of the oothecae were separated from adult female cockroaches and dead. Four out of 30 oothecae tested were alive and hatched.

Nymphal and adult bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, were vacuumed up, put in plastic Petri dishes, and kept at 25°C. Most of them were crushed; 92.1％ mortality of adults and 100％ mortality of nymphs were achieved within one day after being vacuumed up. The rest of adults (7.9％) exhibited abnormal behavior, and all of them were dead within 8 days. Adults, first-instar nymphs, and eggs of the bed bugs were sprayed directly with powdered dry ice for about 4 seconds, then kept at 25°C. Seven days after spraying, 89.3％ mortality of adults was obtained, and 90％ of first-instar nymphs and over 97.2％ of eggs were dead within 14 days.

People who got skin lesions caused by arthropods usually go to see a dermatologist. Effective treatment is easy for the dermatologist, however the identification and eradication of causative arthropods may be difficult. Very few dermatologist has knowledge on medical entomology and zoology. We report several cases taking effective treatment of skin lesions as well as management of arthropods, fleas, mites and bedbugs etc. under the collaboration with dermatologists and regional Pest Control Operator (PCO). It is quite important for a patient to eradicate arthropods as causative agents. Simultaneously we responded successfully to mite-phobia.