Which statement about breeding habitats for Aedes albopictus in urban and suburban areas is accurate?

• A. They breed only in natural wetlands
• B. They breed mainly in large, open water bodies
• C. The average business or residential site provides multiple breeding sites
• D. They breed only indoors

Answer: (C)

Aedes albopictus in urban and suburban areas thrives because it uses lots of small, artificial water sources around homes and businesses. The big idea is that a typical site offers multiple breeding sites, not just one. Tires, buckets, flower pots, planters, clogged gutters, discarded containers, pet dishes, and even shallow puddles from rain can hold water long enough for larvae to develop. With so many potential containers at a single site, control must address a variety of miniature habitats to reduce populations. These mosquitoes don’t rely on natural wetlands or large open water bodies as their main breeding grounds in urban settings, and breeding indoors isn’t the sole or even primary pattern; outdoor containers are the common breeding locations. That’s why the statement about a typical site providing multiple breeding sites is the most accurate.