What is a landing rate count?

• A. An inspector counts the number of mosquitoes landing in a specific time period.
• B. A trap counts larvae in standing water.
• C. It measures the speed of wind to estimate activity.
• D. It counts eggs laid per site.

Answer: (A)

Landing rate counts measure adult mosquito activity by counting how many mosquitoes land on a person or a sentinel surface during a defined time period. This provides a direct estimate of host-seeking or biting pressure in the area and helps compare activity across different sites or times, or assess the impact of control measures. It focuses on adult mosquitoes and landing events, not on larvae, eggs, or environmental factors like wind speed.

The other options describe different methods: counting larvae in standing water is larval surveillance, not a landing rate; measuring wind speed is about environmental conditions, not mosquito landings; counting eggs laid per site is oviposition surveillance.