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No Spray News

James Irwin
PO Box 6393
Columbia, SC  29260
803-782-7114

May 21, 2002      Page 8

Here are the 2 main mosquito species that don't show up in Richland County traps:

a_albopictus.jpg (14025 bytes)
Black with white stripes
on body and legs

 Aedes albopictus (the tiger mosquito)
   This is the standard-issue urban container mosquito that you are all too familiar with. The picture isn't very good, but it shows the broad white stripes on the back legs, which are an easy identifying feature, even on smashed specimens. You probably know the drill, but let's go through it again:

The tiger mosquito:

  • uses only containers and other non-ground pools for its larval stage.
  • bites during the day (until dusk).
  • rarely ventures more than 100-200 feet from its place of birth.

   Control the containers, and you control this mosquito. Spraying programs are-not considered to be effective in controlling it.

 

Psorophora ferox (pronounced "So 'rah' for a ferox")

    No need for a picture - if it's a drab mosquito with white "feet" on its hind legs, then it's Psorophora ferox. This flood-water species is the only mosquito besides the tiger mosquito that has ever reached nuisance levels in my yard. This has happened on 3 occasions since 1997. It arrives all at once about 12 days after flooding rains, such as those produced by tropical storm remnants. My experience is that the numbers of these mosquitoes then quickly dwindle by natural attrition; a week later, there are only a few stragglers left.

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