Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

Seasonal Mosquito Species Trends in Bismarck, ND: Comparative Analysis of 2024 and 2025 Collections

In 2023, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) joined a statewide effort led by Mayville State University to study mosquito species’ occurrence, temporality, and pathogen transmission. UTTC’s first full summer of trapping was 2024, and here we present a comparison of mosquitoes captured in 2024 vs. 2025 in Bismarck, ND. This year's traps were set June 5th and closed August 12th. There were 5 traps set at locations of convenience, security, and consistent access in Bismarck. Mosquito collection bags were replaced and batteries were changed daily. The bags were placed in a -20°C freezer for at least 3 hours before being sorted, counted, and identified. Over the past 2 years there have been 17 species of mosquitoes captured. In 2024, there were 22,405 mosquitoes captured and identified from our traps. Up to July 24, 2025, there have been over 52,000 mosquitoes captured and identified this year, with 3 more weeks of collections that still need to be analyzed. In 2024, Culex tarsalis were most common in June, July, and August. In 2025, Aedes vexans were the most common species in June, and Culex tarsalis were the most common species in July. Plans for future research include testing of the blood meal from engorged mosquitoes to determine the species of their most recent host, and testing the Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens for West Nile Virus. This project was supported by NIH ND INBRE (subaward UND0029417-S2) and NSF (awards 1839895, 2332318, and 216605).