Bug FAQSnow Mosquito
Aedes communis · Order: Diptera · Family: Culicidae
Snow mosquitoes are common in New Jersey and also occur across the northern United States, Canada and Alaska. They stay active throughout the winter, unlike most other mosquito species. Adults visit flowers and act as pollinators of the orchid Platanthera obtusata.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Feeds on nectar and pollinates the orchid Platanthera obtusata.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Remains active during the winter months.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Active in winter, unlike most mosquitoes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to New Jersey and the northern United States, Canada and Alaska.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Vermont, California, Massachusetts.
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
More photos
Questions people ask
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/Aedes_communis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.