Which statement describes Culex restuans?

• A. Most abundant in spring & early summer
• B. Bites humans frequently
• C. Larvae in saltwater marshes
• D. Overwinters as adults

Answer: (A)

Culex restuans typically become one of the first Culex mosquitoes to appear after winter, with numbers peaking in spring and continuing into early summer. That early-season abundance makes the statement about being most abundant in spring and early summer the best fit for how this species behaves in Maryland.

They are not known for biting humans most of the time; they tend to feed more on birds, so human biting is less frequent than with some other species. They don’t usually breed in saltwater marshes; their larvae are found in a variety of freshwater habitats such as catch basins, standing water in containers, and other shady, stagnant waters. Overwintering occurs as diapausing eggs rather than as adults, so the adults you see later come from eggs laid in the previous season that hatch when temperatures rise.