ABSTRACT
The genetic ~nanipulation of insect genomes may herald novel strategies for the control of insectborne disease and could provide the means both to limit economic darnage increase productivity In commercially important insects. Such manipulatio routine in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogc~sie and is based on the exploitation of trainsposable genetic elements such a.s .? Current attempts at e transformation of non-drosophilid insects have also focused on this approach, but phylogen restriction in mobility of the P elemnt has necessitated a search for alternative functional transposons (Handler et al.. 1993). As a result. the Mims element from D. hyclei has since been shown to transpose into the genome of the medfly, Cemtifis capifarrta (koukeris et al.. 1995). the hobo element from D. melanogaster into D. virilis (Eozovskaya et al.. 1894). the mariner element from D. mauritiaiza into D. virilis (Lohe and Hartl, 1996) and Aedes aegypti (Coates et al., 1998). the Hemes element from Mztsca donzesticn into D.
