Bug FAQBrown Saltmarsh Mosquito
Aedes cantator · Order: Diptera · Family: Culicidae
Source: Wikipedia
The brown saltmarsh mosquito bites people and may transmit West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has short, bud-like anal gills.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
It bites humans and can transmit West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Its habitat includes marshes and pools.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, Michigan, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
Do they bite?
Yes, they bite humans and can spread West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis.
Source: Wikipedia
Can they spread disease?
They can transmit West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis to people.
Source: Wikipedia
What is their other name?
They were formerly called Aedes cantator and are now classified as Ochlerotatus cantator.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Culicidae)
Asian Tiger MosquitoAedes albopictusCan spread germs or disease
House Mosquito ComplexCulex pipiensCan spread germs or disease
Yellow Fever MosquitoAedes aegyptiCan spread germs or disease
Inland Floodwater MosquitoAedes vexansCan spread germs or disease
Asian Bush MosquitoAedes japonicusCan bite
Southern House MosquitoCulex quinquefasciatusCan spread germs or diseaseSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochlerotatus_cantator
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.