Assistant Entomologist Metropolitan Mosquito Control District Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District covers nearly 3,000 square miles encompassing the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota, USA. The District was created in 1958 and aims to promote health and well being by protecting the public from disease and annoyance caused by mosquitoes, black flies, and ticks, in an environmentally sensitive manner. With a network of approximately 200 carbon dioxide-baited traps, gravid traps, and sweep net sampling locations we identify ~10,000 samples of adult mosquitoes yearly. In the last couple decades, we witnessed the introduction of non-native mosquitoes, the apparent extirpation of certain species, and changes in the abundance of many species. This presentation will discuss changes in the mosquito community composition over time and the potential implications for disease transmission and prevention.
