Identification
Adult: Dark overall. Proboscis with distinct white ring at middle. Palps white-tipped. Wing scales dark. Abdominal terga with transverse basal pale bands, lacking median longitudinal stripe. Hind tarsomeres with pale rings basally. Lacks pale ring medially on first hind tarsomere.
Larva: Seta 1-S attached distal to pecten, pecten teeth evenly spaced, comb scales with subequal to subapical spinules, comb scales small, numbering 10-30, seta 6-III-V with 2-5 branches. Found in saltmarsh or mangrove habitat.
Range
Atlantic seaboard from New Hamphire to Mexico and beyond, scattered distribution inland, associated with saline habitats, California from Monterey area south.
Habitat
Larvae in saltmarsh habitats or inland waterways, mangrove swamps etc. Also in salt ponds and other inland saline habitats.
Food
Larvae: Filter feeders
Adults: Males and females feed on nectar, females often fly far inland to take a bloodmeal from warm-blooded hosts. Often encountered by ships at sea when host seeking swarms are blown from shore.
Life Cycle
Oviposition occurs on bare mud of saltmarsh habitats, hatching stimulated by tidal inundation or rainfall-associated depth increases inland. Control methods can include flooding mudflats during breeding seasons to prevent oviposition.
Remarks
A very common nuisance mosquito in coastal areas, especially in the Southeast. Often called the Black Saltmarsh Mosquito.
*Information on this page provided by Sean McCann.
See Also
Ochlerotatus sollicitans, has a pale ring medially on hindtarsomere 1, and a median longitudinal pale stripe on abdominal terga.
Ochlerotatus nigromaculis, has basolateral patches on abdominal terga yellowish-scaled.
