Prevalence and distribution of Ochlerotatus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in two counties in Southern New York State

Abstract

The seasonal occurrence and abundance of a newly introduced mosquito in the United States. Ochlerotatus (Finlaya) japonicus (Theobald), are reported for Westchester and Putnam Counties in southern New York State. Adult mosquitoes were sampled at 39 sites distributed throughout the two counties. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) light traps (2,107 trap nights) and gravid traps (1,813 trap nights) were used to collect a total of 44,428 mosquitoes from May through October 2000. Oc. japonicus was found at 97.4% of sites sampled and accounted for 9.8% of all specimens collected. Oc. japonicus was recovered from 1.5% (n = 326) of the light trap collections and 18.1% (n = 4.026) of the gravid trap collections. Although gravid traps collected significantly more specimens than light traps, the seasonal activity patterns measured by each trap type were congruent. In all, 30 mosquito species were collected. Unlike other Ochlerotatus or Aedea species, Oc. japonicus was collected throughout the study, indicating a broad seasonal activity period. There was significant regional variation in Oc. japonicus abundance, with higher trap densities occurring in the northern-most trapping sites. This study demonstrates that Oc. japonicus is established in southern New York State.