Adult Culex tarsalis mosquitoes were marked with fluorescent dusts and released at habitats along the north shore of the Salton Sea in Riverside County, California. Separate experiments compared mosquito age [host-seeking vs. teneral], the time of release [morning vs. evening] and source of mosquitoes [local vs. foreign] on recapture success and dispersal distance. Similar to previous studies, teneral females were extremely dispersive and few were recaptured host-seeking. In contrast, host-seeking females were readily recaptured regardless of the time of release or source. Comparable recapture success of marked females of local and foreign origin indicated that Cx. tarsalis may not rely on a memorized home range to enhance host-seeking and oviposition success.
Species 1: Diptera Culicidae Culex tarsalis (western encephalitis virus mosquito)
Keywords: mark-release-recapture, home range
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