Culex tarsalis, also known as Western Encephalitis Mosquito, is a mosquito species that appears across North America. The species has black and white banding on the legs.
The species is a major vector of Saint Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis virus in the western USA. It is also a confirmed vector of West Nile virus.Sandhu TS, Williams GW, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Population dynamics of blood-fed female mosquitoes and comparative efficacy of resting boxes in collecting them from the northwestern part of Riverside County, California. J Global Infect Dis [serial online] 2013 [cited 2013 Oct 22];5:15-8.Sandhu TS, Williams GA, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Evaluation of arboviral activity at Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District, Riverside County, California during 2008. Proc and Papers of the Mosq and Vector Control Assoc of Calif, vol 77, 2009. p. 108-15.
In California urban environments, the abundance of Culex tarsalis increases following rainfall, and it has been identified as a potential vector not only for zoonotic viruses but also for avian malaria parasites, particularly Plasmodium species that infect wild birds.
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