IFAS Extension
The Florida SLE Mosquito, Culex (Culex) nigripalpus Theobald (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae)
J. F. Day
Release Date: 7/9/2025
Agriculture
Abstract
This document is part of The Featured Creatures collection. The Florida SLE mosquito, Culex nigripalpus, is a significant disease vector in Florida, primarily transmitting St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) and potentially eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) viruses. This mosquito species thrives in subtropical regions and prefers laying eggs in freshly flooded habitats. Due to its abundance and behavior, it poses a considerable risk for arboviral transmission, necessitating vigilant surveillance and management efforts.
About this Publication
This document is EENY-010, one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date July 1997. Revised December 2006, June 2009, December 2011, April 2021, and December 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.
About the Authors
J. F. Day, professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Lab, Vero Beach, FL 32962.
How to Cite
Day, J. F. (1997). The Florida SLE Mosquito, Culex (Culex) nigripalpus Theobald (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae). EDIS, 1997. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in136-1997
Authors
Jonathan Day
Specialist
University of Florida
professor emeritus, surveillance and epidemiology, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Vero Beach, FL
Contacts
Elena Rhodes
staff
University of Florida
biological scientist III, Department of Entomology and Nematology