Microbial-feeding
Guides
Ochlerotatus triseriatus
eastern treehole mosquito, treehole mosquito
Ochlerotatus triseriatus, the eastern treehole mosquito, is a container-breeding mosquito native to North America. It is the primary enzootic vector of La Crosse virus, the leading cause of arboviral encephalitis in children in the United States. Larvae develop in natural tree holes and artificial water-holding containers, feeding on microbial communities associated with decaying organic matter. The species exhibits strong density-dependent survival, with larval crowding significantly reducing per-capita survival rates—a trait that has important implications for mosquito control strategies.