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

The Arizona State University (ASU) Tempe campus is inhabited by some 55,000 enrolled students as well as several mosquito species that can transmit West Nile virus, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The time of host-seeking of these vectors has not been quantified on the ASU Tempe campus, but this information is important to inform ground and/or truck-mount fogging operations targeting mosquitoes to prevent or control disease outbreaks. We quantified the time of host-seeking of the predominant mosquito vector species at the ASU Tempe campus during the post-monsoon season in 2021, using collection bottle rotators with encephalitis vector survey traps that were baited with CO2, at 3 h intervals during a full day.

Temperature and time of host-seeking activity impact the efficacy of chemical control interventions targeting the West Nile virus vector, Culex tarsalis.

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading mosquito-borne disease causing-pathogen in the United States. Concerningly, there are no prophylactics or drug treatments for WNV and public health programs rely heavily on vector control efforts to lessen disease incidence. Insecticides can be effective in reducing vector numbers if implemented strategically, but can diminish in efficacy and promote insecticide resistance otherwise.