How to identify it
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Other mosquitoes | It resembles Culex mosquitoes in shape and color but has an unusually long, curved proboscis.[1] |
Where it lives
It lives mainly in lowland freshwater swamps of eastern North America, from Maine, southern Quebec and the Great Lakes south to Florida and west to eastern Texas.[1]
Biology and life cycle
There are multiple generations a year in the South, where adults are active year-round, but only two in the Northeast.[1]
Females lay eggs in swamps with cypress, white cedar or red maple, and larvae hatch within about two days.[1]
Females feed mainly on songbirds, the natural hosts of EEEV.[1]
Damage and signs
- Control is difficult because its swamp breeding sites are usually protected by environmental laws.[1]
Health risk
People and horses usually get EEEV from other mosquitoes that bite infected birds, but this species takes 5 to 25 percent of its blood meals from mammals and may transmit the virus directly.[1]
Control
Prevention
Wear long sleeves and pants and an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.[2]
Keep them out
Keep fine-mesh window and door screens in good repair.[2]
When to call a professional
Mosquito control agencies use aerial adulticides and larvicides, with varying success because its habitat is hard to reach or protected.[1]
Common questions
- Which mosquito spreads eastern equine encephalitis?
- Culiseta melanura is the principal carrier among birds; other mosquitoes usually carry the virus to people and horses.[1]
- Where does the dark-tailed mosquito breed?
- In acidic water in dark hollows, such as under upturned tree roots, in freshwater swamps.[1]
Sources
- University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Dark-Tailed Mosquito, Culiseta melanura (EENY-536).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN950 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Mosquitoes, Publication 7451 (revised April 2020).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnmosquitoes.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- iNaturalist, “Culiseta melanura taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/217909 (accessed 2026-10-06)