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Ochlerotatus sollicitans
Description: Proboscis is dark-scaled and with white band near middle. Palpi are short and dark with a few white scales at the tips. Venter is whitish to pale-yellow scaled, and is speckled with dark scales. Femora and tibiae are dark and liberally speckled with pale scales. Wing length was about 4 mm.
Coastal coniferous forest adjacent to a saltmarsh.
We were inundated by these mosquitoes while hiking in a coastal, coniferous forest. They were brutal and swarmed us - at one point, I counted 8 just on my husband's head. They were aggressive and were not deterred by mosquito repellent and protective clothing. Needless to say, it was a very short hike.
The females are persistent biters and will attack any time during the day or night. They are important vectors of Eastern equine encephalitis.
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