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In response to my query about virgin mosquitoes, I had a very
informative reply sent directly to me from Dr. Murray Colbo. With his
permission, I'm sending it on to NatureNS. I've edited it somewhat to
include more information he sent in a subsequent email.
Peter Payzant
Waverley
From Murray Colbo:
"Mosquitoes in the house in winter is because certain species of
mosquitoes overwinter as adult females. The females of the genus /Culex/
(at least 3 spp in NS), /Culiseta /(at least 1 species), and /Anopheles
/(three species) overwinter as adults. In nature they would overwinter
in cavities such as logs, under bark of dead trees, upturned trees etc.
I have had them come out of firewood that I brought in during winter.
However they will also overwinter in walls and attics, and cold
basements of buildings.
"The females emerge during the previous late summer and fall, they then
mate and take a blood meal before seeking a winter shelter to remain in
until spring. Most of our mosquito species overwinter in the egg stage
although one which does not blood feed, with larvae in the pitchers of
pitcher plants, overwinters as a larva frozen in the ice in the pitcher.
"Some species may take a fall blood meal while others will diapause on
reserves from their larval stage and sugar meals. Those females that do
take blood use it as a food source for development of their eggs,
however the blood meal taken by the overwintering females in the fall is
used to make a fat reserve for an energy source carried over the winter
and for first activity in spring. Normally energy for flight comes from
sugars obtained from plants (flowers, honey dew, leaking sap). Thus the
overwintering females are mated already and store sperm till they
develop the eggs the following spring and summer. In the spring they
will seek another blood meal to develop the egg batches.
"/Culiseta /are large mosquitoes which one may see very early in spring
even when temperatures are not much above freezing as they are quite
cold tolerant for their flight activity.
"/Anopheles punctipennis/ and /An. earlei/ are widespread but normally
not abundant as pests. Both are capable of being vectors of malaria but
only if a person with malaria is present when they are active in warm
weather. /An. walkeri/ is also recorded here but it's not known if it
can vector malaria.
"/Culex pipiens/ and /C. restuans/ are vectors of viruses such as West
Nile and eastern and western equine encephalitis but we have not had a
outbreak here in last few years. One other species, /C. territans/,
feeds on amphibians."
--Boundary_(ID_R9m2Cye6sM19NxOjhzxQcA)
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In response to my query about virgin mosquitoes, I had a very
informative reply sent directly to me from Dr. Murray Colbo. With
his permission, I'm sending it on to NatureNS. I've edited it
somewhat to include more information he sent in a subsequent email.<br>
<br>
Peter Payzant<br>
Waverley<br>
<br>
From Murray Colbo:<br>
<br>
"Mosquitoes in the house in winter is because certain species of
mosquitoes overwinter as adult females. The females of the genus <i>Culex</i>
(at least 3 spp in NS), <i>Culiseta </i>(at least 1 species), and
<i>Anopheles </i>(three species) overwinter as adults. In nature
they would overwinter in cavities such as logs, under bark of dead
trees, upturned trees etc. I have had them come out of firewood that
I brought in during winter. However they will also overwinter in
walls and attics, and cold basements of buildings.<br>
<br>
"The females emerge during the previous late summer and fall, they
then mate and take a blood meal before seeking a winter shelter to
remain in until spring. Most of our mosquito species overwinter in
the egg stage although one which does not blood feed, with larvae in
the pitchers of pitcher plants, overwinters as a larva frozen in the
ice in the pitcher. <br>
<br>
"Some species may take a fall blood meal while others will diapause
on reserves from their larval stage and sugar meals. Those females
that do take blood use it as a food source for development of their
eggs, however the blood meal taken by the overwintering females in
the fall is used to make a fat reserve for an energy source carried
over the winter and for first activity in spring. Normally energy
for flight comes from sugars obtained from plants (flowers, honey
dew, leaking sap). Thus the overwintering females are mated already
and store sperm till they develop the eggs the following spring and
summer. In the spring they will seek another blood meal to develop
the egg batches.<br>
<br>
"<i>Culiseta </i>are large mosquitoes which one may see very early
in spring even when temperatures are not much above freezing as they
are quite cold tolerant for their flight activity. <br>
<br>
"<i>Anopheles punctipennis</i> and <i>An. earlei</i> are widespread
but normally not abundant as pests. Both are capable of being
vectors of malaria but only if a person with malaria is present when
they are active in warm weather. <i>An. walkeri</i> is also
recorded here but it's not known if it can vector malaria.<br>
<br>
"<i>Culex pipiens</i> and <i>C. restuans</i> are vectors of viruses
such as West Nile and eastern and western equine encephalitis but we
have not had a outbreak here in last few years. One other species, <i>C.
territans</i>, feeds on amphibians."<br>
<br>
<br>
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