Oklahoma Mosquito ID Guide

The mosquitoes most Oklahomans run into are the Asian tiger mosquito, house mosquitoes and the inland floodwater mosquito. The Asian tiger mosquito is black with bright white stripes, bites during the day and breeds in buckets, flower pots and other small containers. House mosquitoes are plain brown, bite from dusk to dawn and are the main carriers of West Nile virus in the state. The inland floodwater mosquito is small and dark and shows up in swarms after heavy rain. Mosquito season usually runs from spring until the first hard freeze, with the most bites and the highest West Nile risk in late summer. Here is how to identify the common species and what each one means for you.

Oklahoma mosquitoes at a glance

Mosquito	Looks like	Breeds in	Bites	Concern
Asian tiger mosquito	Black, white stripes, one white line down the back	Small containers	Daytime, especially afternoon	Biggest nuisance in towns
Yellow fever mosquito	Black, white lyre-shaped marks on the back	Small containers	Daytime	Can carry Zika, dengue
Common house mosquito	Plain brown, pale bands on the abdomen	Foul water, drains, containers	Dusk to dawn	West Nile virus
Western encephalitis mosquito	Brown, white band on the beak, white leg bands	Grassland pools	Evening and night	West Nile virus
Inland floodwater mosquito	Small, dark, banded legs	Puddles after flooding	Evening; bites when disturbed	Big swarms after rain
Eastern treehole mosquito	Dark with silver sides	Tree holes, tires	Daytime, near woods	La Crosse virus
Common malaria mosquito	Slender, dark spots on the wings	Pond and lake edges	Night; enters homes	Low today
Gallinippers and other Psorophora	Very large and dark	Flooded fields, woodland pools	Painful, persistent	Mostly nuisance

Species and habits are from Oklahoma State University Extension's guide to the twelve most important Oklahoma mosquitoes and the CDC.

Container mosquitoes: the daytime biters

Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)

If you are getting bitten in the backyard in broad daylight, this is almost certainly the culprit. The Asian tiger mosquito is small to medium, black, with white stripes on its legs and body and a single white line down the middle of its back. OSU entomologists call it the most important pest mosquito in most urban areas of Oklahoma from early June through fall. It lays eggs in small containers: buckets, flower pots, saucers, toys, tires, clogged gutters, and any container left outside for a while. It bites people above all, but also dogs, cats and birds, and it can carry dengue, chikungunya, West Nile virus and dog heartworm. OSU notes it is most active in mid to late afternoon, so evening spraying often misses it.

The CDC adds two things that matter for homeowners: its eggs stick to container walls just above the water and can survive drying out for months, and the adults fly only a few blocks in their lifetime. The mosquitoes biting you were probably raised in your yard or the one next door.

Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti)

A close cousin of the tiger mosquito, also black with white markings, but with white lyre-shaped lines on its back instead of a single stripe. It breeds in the same small containers and bites during the day. It can carry chikungunya, yellow fever, dengue and Zika. A 2016 model cited by OSU gives Oklahoma the potential for moderate to high numbers of this mosquito from June through September. It prefers to live near people and will live indoors as well as out.

Eastern treehole mosquito (Aedes triseriatus)

A medium-sized dark mosquito with silver markings on its sides. It breeds in water-filled tree holes and tires and feeds on small mammals, birds and deer as well as people. It is the main carrier of La Crosse virus, according to OSU.

House mosquitoes: the West Nile carriers

Common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)

The common house mosquito is a plain brown mosquito with a pale, cream-colored band on each abdominal segment. It breeds in foul water: storm drains, ditches, septic seepage, and containers full of leaves. It feeds mostly on birds, but bites people too, and it is one of the first mosquitoes out in spring. The CDC says Culex mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn, rest in grass, shrubs and thick vegetation during the day, and can fly up to 2 miles. They lay eggs in floating rafts of 100 to 300.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health names Culex mosquitoes as the main carrier of West Nile virus in the state, and says they become more abundant in mid to late summer, when it is hot and dry.

Western encephalitis mosquito (Culex tarsalis)

A medium brown mosquito with white leg bands and a single white band around its beak. It breeds in standing water in grasslands. In spring it feeds on birds; from mid-summer it switches to mammals, including people. It can carry West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and western equine encephalitis.

OSU's list also includes two other Culex species, Culex coronator and Culex nigripalpus. Both have been found in Oklahoma and can carry encephalitis viruses.

Floodwater and wetland mosquitoes

Inland floodwater mosquito (Aedes vexans)

The mosquito behind those miserable swarms a week or two after a big Oklahoma storm. It is small and dark with banded legs and pale markings on each abdominal segment. Females lay eggs on damp soil in low spots, and the eggs hatch when the ground floods. University of Illinois Extension notes that floodwater mosquito eggs can stay alive in dry soil for two years or more, and that big hatches of biting adults follow heavy rain by about two weeks. It is usually one of the first mosquitoes of spring, prefers large mammals, and can carry West Nile virus and dog heartworm.

Common malaria mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus)

A slender, long-legged mosquito with at least four dark patches on each wing. It tends to rest with its rear end tipped up. It breeds among plants at the edges of ponds and lakes, often comes indoors to feed on people at night, and spends the winter as an adult in barns and tree holes. Malaria has not been a significant problem in the U.S. since the 1950s, OSU notes, but this mosquito can carry dog heartworm.

Eastern saltmarsh mosquito (Aedes sollicitans)

A coastal species that OSU reports was recently found in high numbers near Altus. It is medium to large, with cream-colored sides and a tan back divided by a dark line. It is not a mosquito most Tulsa or Oklahoma City homeowners will meet.

Gallinippers and other Psorophora mosquitoes

Oklahoma's biggest mosquitoes belong to the genus Psorophora. OSU says gallinippers can grow up to six times larger than most mosquitoes; disease risk is low, but the bites are very painful. The dark ricefield mosquito (Psorophora columbiae) breeds in flooded fields and can go from egg to pupa in about three and a half days in summer heat. Psorophora ferox, a large dark mosquito with white-tipped hind legs, breeds in woodland pools. All are persistent biters.

How a mosquito grows

Every mosquito goes through four stages: egg, larva ("wiggler"), pupa ("tumbler") and adult. The first three all happen in water, which is why standing water is the key to mosquito control. The CDC says Aedes and Culex mosquitoes take 7 to 10 days to go from egg to adult, and warm weather speeds that up. Only females bite; they need blood to make eggs. Males feed on plant nectar.

• Container mosquitoes (Asian tiger, yellow fever): eggs stick to the inside of containers above the waterline and hatch when rain or a sprinkler fills them.
• House mosquitoes (Culex): eggs float in rafts on still, often dirty water.
• Floodwater mosquitoes (Aedes vexans, Psorophora): eggs wait in dry low ground until it floods.

OSU entomologist Justin Talley notes that most adult mosquitoes live about two weeks.

When is mosquito season in Oklahoma?

Season	What mosquitoes are doing
Early spring	Floodwater and house mosquitoes are first out, especially after rain.
Late spring	Rain fills containers and low spots; populations build quickly.
June through fall	Asian tiger mosquitoes are the main daytime pest in towns (OSU).
Mid to late summer	Culex numbers rise in hot, dry weather, and West Nile cases peak (OSDH).
Fall	Activity slows as nights cool, but continues on warm days until a hard freeze.
Winter	Eggs and some adults wait in sheltered spots; warm spells can wake a few.

Two things drive Oklahoma's mosquito swings: rain and heat. Heavy rain creates breeding sites, and about two weeks later the biting starts. Heat shortens the life cycle so generations overlap. A dry spell gives some relief, but mosquitoes concentrate around whatever water is left, such as birdbaths, pet bowls and leaky faucets.

When does mosquito season end?

There is no set date. Mosquitoes slow down as temperatures drop, and University of Illinois Extension notes that larvae develop very slowly, and many die, when water stays below about 50°F. The first hard freeze is usually the end of the season. But container mosquito eggs can survive the winter (CDC), and some adults hide in barns, sheds, crawlspaces and tree holes, so a warm week in November or February can bring a few back out.

Mosquito-borne diseases in Oklahoma

West Nile virus is the main mosquito-borne disease in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports cases every year, usually starting in summer. Most people who are infected never have symptoms. Some get a sudden fever, headache, dizziness or muscle weakness and recover in one to three weeks. A small number develop severe illness affecting the brain and nerves. People over 50 and people with diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure are at higher risk. There is no vaccine or specific treatment, so avoiding bites is the best protection.

Feeling sick after mosquito bites? See a doctor for a fever with headache, body aches or rash. Call 911 for confusion, a stiff neck, severe headache, weakness or trouble staying awake. This article is general information, not medical advice.

Zika, dengue and chikungunya have not spread locally in Oklahoma, and U.S. cases have been mostly in people infected while traveling. The two mosquitoes that can carry them, the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes, both live here. OSU's 2016 analysis noted that local spread would need an infected traveler to be bitten by local mosquitoes, which is one more reason to keep container mosquitoes down.

Dog heartworm is spread by several Oklahoma mosquitoes, including the Asian tiger, inland floodwater and common malaria mosquitoes. Ask your veterinarian about heartworm prevention.

How to protect your family

• Dump standing water at least once a week, and after every rain.
• Use an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535, especially from dusk to dawn, and in the afternoon if tiger mosquitoes are biting.
• Wear long, loose sleeves and pants when mosquitoes are out.
• Keep window and door screens repaired.

Our mosquito prevention guide covers each of these in detail. To plan around bites, see the best and worst times of day for mosquitoes. For other pests that spread disease, see Oklahoma pests that are harmful to people and pets and our pest guides.

Mosquito exterminator in Tulsa and Oklahoma City

If you have dumped the water and the mosquitoes are still chasing you inside, call a mosquito exterminator. Emtec Pest Control has served Oklahoma homes since 1979. Our technicians treat the shrubs, shady areas and spots under decks where adult mosquitoes rest, using a product that kills adults and stops young mosquitoes from developing. We serve Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Stillwater, Oklahoma City, Edmond and nearby towns. Learn about our mosquito control service or contact us.