Which genus does the Eastern tree-hole mosquito belong to?

Which genus does the Eastern tree-hole mosquito belong to?

• A. Ochlerotatus
• B. Aedes
• C. Culiseta
• D. Psorophora

Answer: (A)

The genus is Ochlerotatus because the Eastern tree-hole mosquito refers to the species known as triseriatus, which in modern taxonomy is placed in the Ochlerotatus group. This reflects updated classifications that group tree-hole breeders with other Ochlerotatus species based on genetic and morphological traits, rather than with Aedes. Historically you might see it listed as Aedes triseriatus, but current keys use Ochlerotatus for this lineage. The other genera represent different ecological groups—Culiseta includes species with different breeding habitats and virus associations, and Psorophora consists of floodwater mosquitoes—so they don’t match the eastern tree-hole mosquito’s tree-hole breeding ecology.

The genus is Ochlerotatus because the Eastern tree-hole mosquito refers to the species known as triseriatus, which in modern taxonomy is placed in the Ochlerotatus group. This reflects updated classifications that group tree-hole breeders with other Ochlerotatus species based on genetic and morphological traits, rather than with Aedes. Historically you might see it listed as Aedes triseriatus, but current keys use Ochlerotatus for this lineage. The other genera represent different ecological groups—Culiseta includes species with different breeding habitats and virus associations, and Psorophora consists of floodwater mosquitoes—so they don’t match the eastern tree-hole mosquito’s tree-hole breeding ecology.