Highlights from the 2007 Mosquito Count:

We are optimistic about the progress we have made in visualizing the advance of two introduced species. It is now possible for us to identify the eggs by species, using a technique known as quantitative PCR (qPCR), which uses the polymerase chain reaction to make many copies of DNA based on a selected sequence that only one of the species will have. Our qPCR machine enables us to process a sample and determine the original amount of DNA present for each of three species simultaneously. Based on our knowledge of how much DNA is in the eggs of these species, we can then calculate the number of eggs for each species within the original sample. This method was developed through the dedicated efforts of Camilo Khatchikian, a PhD student in our laboratory.

We were not able to process some of the sites for species identification, so if your site does not show up on our list it is due to one of the following problems: egg degradation, sample loss, or error in sample processing, possibly a recording error, or failure of our methods for unknown reasons. We hope that all groups will continue next year, so we can obtain a more complete look at the distribution of these species.

The most striking finding of the 2007 study is that Ochlerotatus japonicus, which was discovered in North America just 10 years ago in Suffolk County, NY and Bergen County, NJ., has become very common throughout a very wide area. Although we do not have a detailed list of counties in which this species has been found, most of the groups in Indiana and Illinois have probably discovered this invasive Japanese species in their counties for the first time.

Here are some other highlights of the 2007 study:

Highest egg density and highest mean crowding: Kingwood, WV (475 eggs/trap)

Most Ochlerotatus triseriatus (the native species): Oxford, NJ

Most Ochlerotatus japonicus: Houston PA

Most Aedes albopictus: Hazard, KY

Fewest mosquitoes: Crystal Lake IL, Loyal WI, Ankeny IA, Huntington, Kokomo, Royal Center, Lawrenceburg, Frankfort, Hammond IN

Of the sites that produced traps with eggs, ALL of them had an invasive species. None of them had more than two species.

We thank the following groups for participating in their fifth Labor Day Mosquito Count. Without your encouraging support, we might not have kept this project going:

Blacksburg/Christiansburg VA (Mike Rosenzweig and SEEDS)
Hazard KY (Barbara Weaver)
Loyal WI (Barb Kingsbury)

The following groups have completed their fourth year of collaboration, and we're glad we still have you: 

Oxford NJ (Christine Musa)
Houston PA (Gary Popiolkowski)
New Cumberland WV (Jules Adam, Stephan Smolski)
Buckhannon WV (Michele Benson)
Beckley WV (Susan Westfall)
Belle WV (Rachelle Marion)
Bridgeport WV (Robin Anglin)
Fayetteville WV (Wayne Yonkelowitz)

The following groups have now participated for three years:

Carmel IN (Laurie Yesh)
Pendleton IN (Laura Miller)
Crawfordsville IN (Amy Gillan)
Oxford NJ (Christine Musa)
Beachwood OH (Joe Burwell)
Hammond IN (Jeannette Melcic, Kathy Stump)
Kingwood WV (William Barlow)
Franklin WV (Sandra Simmons)
Grafton WV (Susan Westfall)

These groups have now participated twice:

Delphi IN (Kirk Janowiak)
Crystal Lake IL (Annette Rafferty)
Beachwood OH (Joe Burwell)
Ankeny IA (Kathy Megivern)

Finally, we are happy to have the following groups join our project for the first time, and we hope to have you back next year:

Frankfort IN (Lynn Wilhelm)
Charlottesville IN (Brandi Hinen)
Greenfield IN (Jan Van Kley)
New Palestine IN (Susie Jameson)
South Bend IN (Michael Finn)
Huntington IN (Julie Purdy)
Kokomo IN (Beverly Noel)
Royal Center IN (Karla Roeske)
Winamac IN (Barbara Behnke)
Lawrenceburg IN (Cyndie McKee)
Clarksville IN (Sherri Abromovage)
Columbus IN (Andrew Larson, Tami Reardon, Steve Hambling)
Connersville IN (Beth Mahuron, Brenda Coleman)

Acknowledgments:

Graduate students Camilo Khatchikian, Jamie Fitzgerald, and Sara Koehring contributed many hours to this project, as did Rachel Margolis-Pineo and the students in Vector Ecology. See Teaching Resources for their names.