The black-tailed mosquito, Culiseta melanura (Coquillett, 1902), belongs to the family Culicidae. This species of mosquito is considered unusual because it overwinters as larvae while most mosquito species overwinter as either adults or eggs. Culiseta melanura is important because of its role in the transmission cycle of eastern equine encephalitis virus and potentially West Nile virus.

Want to know more? Visit the September 2012 Featured Creatures – Black-tailed mosquito, Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) by Eva Buckner, Angelique Showman, and C. Roxanne Connelly, University of Florida.

http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/Culiseta_melanura.htm

Dr. Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman gillett@ufl.edu is the coordinator for UF-IFAS Featured Creatures. Black-tailed mosquito is UF/IFAS publication number EENY-536.

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman for submitting this to UF-IFAS Pest Alert!

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