Where is Culiseta melanura primarily found?

• A. Maryland coastal plain swamps and deep tree crypts under roots
• B. Urban basements and culverts
• C. Rice fields
• D. Salt marshes

Answer: (A)

Culiseta melanura is a woodland mosquito that breeds in natural, water-filled cavities and swamps. In Maryland, its primary distribution is in coastal plain swamps and deep tree crypts under roots, where shaded, stagnant water in tree holes and similar habitats provides ideal larval habitats. This species thrives in those forested, marshy wetlands and is tied to the enzootic cycle involving birds. Other environments like urban basements or culverts, rice fields, or salt marshes host different mosquitoes, not this one.