URANOTAENIA ANHYDOR AMERICA’S RAREST MOSQUITO?

The mosquito, Uranotaenia anhydor, certainly seems to be the rarest mosquito in America north of Mexico. The type species location is San Diego, CA, but is no longer present there. I collected it in Saratoga Springs, a remote oasis in Death Valley, CA, after a 65-year absence in scientific literature. This is likely the only remaining location for this mosquito species in America and, thus, its most northern range. The genus Uranotaenia is the 4th largest after Culex, Aedes complex, and Anopheles, with 265 listed species, mainly in the Afrotropical, Australasian, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. The Uranotaenia species has been reported to be able to develop in small quantities of water, similar to Aedes aegypti. The genus is unusual in that, unlike the 3 larger genera where females feed on homeotherms (warmbloods), mammals and birds, Uranotaenia spp. are known to feed only on poikilotherms (cold-blooded animals), amphibians, reptiles, leeches, annelid worms, and possibly snails, and, as such, are not a public health concern. I also discuss some of the unique aspects of Saratoga Springs relating to its flora and fauna and ability to sustain mosquito populations.