Seasonal-host-shifting
Guides
Culex stigmatosoma
Banded Foul Water Mosquito
Culex stigmatosoma is a mosquito species distributed across the southwestern United States and northern South America. Bloodmeal analysis from southern California populations reveals it feeds primarily on birds (71.3%) with opportunistic mammalian feeding (28.7%, including humans 1.4%). The species exhibits seasonal host-shifting behavior, increasing mammalian feeding in late summer and early fall. It is a confirmed vector of West Nile virus and considered a potential bridge vector between enzootic bird reservoirs and humans.