Mozzie Monitors, December 2018.

To date, our citizen science project Mozzie Monitors has identified 3,570 mosquitoes from 10 species from 1,033 submissions from our Mozzie Monitors. Together we collected and identified 1,459 mosquitoes in December 2018 alone. The data that we have produced has indicated the seasonal changes are continuing as the scorching summer pushes on. The average number of mosquitoes identified from submissions by our Mozzie Monitors has continued to increase with the average collections over December over 12 individuals per trap (Figure 1). We continue to see variability of collections with several traps collecting tens of mosquitoes and one with 162 in one submission.

Figure 1. Seasonal change in the average number of mosquitoes identified by Mozzie Monitors.

It is interesting to note that the increase in the average number of mosquitoes was largely due to increases in some of the Culex species such as Cx. molestus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. With Cx. molestus in particular caught in high numbers with many of these blood-fed females in some traps. It would be interesting to know what they had fed on? And if we could use this in some way. In my work collecting mosquitoes along the Murray River, I squirrelled away all the blood-fed mosquitoes I came across. Eventually, the mosquitoes were processed by Emily Flies¹ and we found some interesting results. I wonder what these mosquitoes are feeding on, was it a native animal

Figure 1. The proportion of different species collected by Mozzie Monitors over December 2018.

As I have mentioned the question we want to answer is the obvious question, why do mosquitoes increased at some sites and not so much at others.  Could it be that the number of locations to lay eggs (oviposit) has decreased as the weather has become dry, forcing mosquitoes to enter the BG-GAT traps? Are the mosquitoes using the traps to rest in the warmer conditions?

follow our page on Facebook and join our Facebook group if you are keen

Collections over December continued to predominantly made up of Aedes notoscriptus, a very common mosquito in backyards throughout Australia, (Figure 11). It is interesting to that no Tripteroides species were submitted over December from any of our Mozzie Monitors.

In the first week of December, the HEHPeople team conducted our second excursion under the banner of Activating Australians for Citizen Science. This was held at Magill campus of the University of South Australia and was centred around our Mozzie Monitor project. We had a small but enthusiastic group attend, I think we also learned a lot. The group gained an insight into mosquitoes and their Urban ecology as well as the requirements to help identify them.

Stephen Fricker explaining to our new Mozzie Monitors how the public is sometimes confused about what is a mosquito.

follow our page on Facebook and join our Facebook group if you are keen

Have you considered using iNaturalist?

I would like to suggest the use of iNaturalist, the community will use their expertise to help you identify or review what you have identified. To further what we are doing here at Mozzie Monitors I have also started a project for mozzie monitors, called “Mozzie Monitors”. So if you are one of our keen photographers, give iNaturalist a go, and join the “Mozzie Monitors Project” and suggest your ID. I can have a look and confirm your ID.

Otherwise, if you are on Instagram and take a good photo share it on our Facebook page or Instagram #mozziemonitors.