Which statement about Aedes vexans is correct?

• A. Eggs overwinter and hatch in water at 70°F in waves.
• B. It is a strong flyer; found miles from breeding sites.
• C. It overwinters as eggs.
• D. Active May-Oct, several generations.

Answer: (C)

Aedes vexans survives winter in the egg stage. It lays eggs on damp, exposed soil along flood-prone areas, and those eggs resist drying out so they can endure the cold. When spring rains flood the area, the eggs hatch and lead to new adults. This overwintering strategy is why the correct statement is that it overwinters as eggs. Other ideas don’t fit its biology: hatching isn’t tied to a specific temperature like 70°F in waves, and although floods can produce bursts of emergence, it isn’t best described as a strong long-distance flyer with a broad May–October, multi‑generation flight; in temperate settings, generation numbers are more limited and tied to seasonal flooding and temperatures.