How to identify it
- Adults have dark wing scales, shaggy hind feet with the last two or three segments white, and a mix of dark brown and golden-yellow scales on the back.[1]
- Like other Psorophora, adults have a pointed abdomen.[1]
- Larvae live in well-shaded pools and depressions in woods; in Florida, in palm and oak woodlands.[1]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Other mosquitoes | Check the hind legs: Psorophora ferox has shaggy hind feet with white tips.[1] |
Where it lives
It ranges from southeastern Canada through the eastern US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to South America.[1]
Biology and life cycle
Eggs laid in or near temporary pools can resist drying until rain or floodwater arrives; a female lays about 80 per blood meal.[1]
Larvae develop in 5 to 7 days and pupae in 1 to 2, with several generations a year.[1]
Females bite people and other animals at sunrise and sunset and during the day, and possibly at night.[1]
The human bot fly sometimes lays its eggs on these mosquitoes, which carry them to a host.[1]
Damage and signs
- Mosquito control programs don't usually target it, since it lives in woodland floodwater areas people seldom visit.[1]
Health risk
It's a persistent, painful biter; several viruses, including West Nile once, have been found in it, but it isn't thought to be a major disease carrier to people.[1]
Control
Prevention
Avoid the woods at dawn and dusk, when biting insects are most active, and wear long sleeves and pants.[1]
The CDC recommends EPA-registered mosquito repellents for fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities.[1]
Common questions
- What mosquito bites so painfully in the woods during the day?
- It may be Psorophora ferox, a persistent, painful biter that also feeds in daytime.[1]
- Do white-footed woods mosquitoes spread disease?
- Several viruses have been found in them, but their woodland habits likely keep them from being a major carrier to people.[1]
Sources
- University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “A Mosquito, Psorophora ferox (EENY-632).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1100 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- iNaturalist, “Psorophora ferox taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132756 (accessed 2026-10-06)