TIME OF HOST-SEEKING OF MOSQUITO VECTOR SPECIES ON THE TEMPE CAMPUS OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Area of Science:

• Medical Entomology
• Urban Ecology
• Public Health

Background:

• Arizona State University (ASU) Tempe campus hosts 55,000 students and mosquito vectors transmitting diseases like West Nile virus.
• Quantifying mosquito host-seeking times is crucial for effective disease outbreak prevention and control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the host-seeking times of predominant mosquito vector species at the ASU Tempe campus.
• To provide data for optimizing mosquito surveillance and control operations.

Main Methods:

• Mosquitoes were collected using encephalitis vector survey traps baited with CO2.
• Collections were conducted at 3-hour intervals over a full day during the post-monsoon season in 2021.
• Identified predominant species included Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex tarsalis.

Main Results:

• Pre-midnight host-seeking (18:00-00:00) comprised 52% of captures, while post-midnight (00:00-06:00) accounted for 35%.
• Peak activity for Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex tarsalis was 21:00-00:00.
• Aedes aegypti exhibited peak activity between 15:00-18:00.

Conclusions:

• Host-seeking activity patterns vary among dominant mosquito species on the ASU Tempe campus.
• The collected data can inform targeted, time-specific mosquito control interventions.