Key takeaways
- About 90 mosquito species live in Florida, and as many as 17 of them are nonnative (UF/IFAS).
- Black-and-white Aedes mosquitoes bite in the daytime and breed in containers; they are the main carriers of dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
- Brown Culex mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn and breed in drains, ditches and other standing water; they carry West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses.
- The black salt marsh mosquito hatches in huge numbers after tides and rain along the coast and is a major nuisance biter.
- Knowing which mosquito bites you, and when, tells you which water to target and when to wear repellent.
In this article
- How Many Mosquito Species Live in South Florida?
- Quick Identification Guide
- The Day Biters: Aedes Mosquitoes
- The Night Biters: Culex Mosquitoes
- Other South Florida Species Worth Knowing
- Day Biters vs. Night Biters: What It Means for Your Protection
- Controlling the Species Around Your Home
- Frequently Asked Questions
Florida is home to about 90 mosquito species, but only a handful cause most of the bites and nearly all of the disease risk in South Florida. Around homes, the ones that matter most are two black-and-white Aedes species that bite by day and breed in containers, two brown Culex species that bite at night and breed in drains and ditches, and a coastal salt marsh mosquito that can show up by the millions after high tides and rain.
Knowing which mosquito is biting you is more than trivia. It tells you which diseases are possible, when to wear repellent and which water on your property to go after. This guide covers the species South Floridians are most likely to meet, how to tell them apart and what each one means for your home.
How Many Mosquito Species Live in South Florida?
According to UF/IFAS, about 90 mosquito species live in Florida, and as many as 17 nonnative species are now established, 11 of them first reported in the past two decades. Miami-Dade County alone has more than 50 species, though only a few are a significant nuisance.
Most species feed on birds, frogs or other animals, live in remote wetlands or rarely bite people. The ones that cause trouble are the species that thrive close to people: in our containers, our storm drains and our landscaping. For a broader overview, visit our mosquito pest library.
Quick Identification Guide
| Species | Look | When it bites | Where it breeds | Diseases of concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) | Small, black, white lyre pattern on back, banded legs | Daytime, indoors and outdoors | Containers, flowerpots, tires, gutters | Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever |
| Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) | Black with one white stripe down the back, banded legs | Daytime, peaks early morning and late afternoon | Containers, tires, birdbaths, tree holes | Lab-competent for dengue, Zika and others; less efficient carrier |
| Southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) | Plain brown, about 4 mm, pale bands on abdomen | Through the night | Nutrient-rich standing water: catch basins, wastewater, birdbaths, tires | St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile |
| Florida SLE mosquito (Culex nigripalpus) | Dark brown, few distinguishing markings | Dusk and before dawn | Freshly flooded ditches and furrows | St. Louis encephalitis, minor role in EEE |
| Common malaria mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus) | Very dark, four dark wing patches, rests tail-up | Night, peak shortly after dark | Fresh water with vegetation, rain pools | Malaria, dog heartworm |
| Black salt marsh mosquito (Aedes taeniorhynchus) | Dark, white bands on abdomen, white ring on the middle of the proboscis | Mainly night; by day if disturbed | Coastal salt marshes after tides and rain | EEE (not a primary vector), dog heartworm |
Need help with pests in South Florida?
Toro Pest Management has protected homes and businesses since 1969. Get a free inspection and $25 off your first service, backed by our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee: if the pests come back, so do we, at no extra cost.
The Day Biters: Aedes Mosquitoes
Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
The yellow fever mosquito is the most important disease carrier in urban South Florida. According to UF/IFAS, it is still common in the cities of southern Florida, bites mainly people and is active during the day, readily biting both indoors and outdoors.
Females lay about 100 to 200 eggs per batch, placing them on damp surfaces just above the water in containers: unused flowerpots, spare tires, untreated swimming pools and drainage areas. The eggs can survive drying out for months and hatch when rain covers them. This is the main mosquito behind locally acquired dengue in Florida, and it can also spread Zika and chikungunya.
Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
The Asian tiger mosquito arrived in Florida in the mid-1980s and spread to all 67 counties, according to UF/IFAS. It is the aggressive, striped mosquito that finds you while you garden in the afternoon, with biting peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. It breeds in the same kinds of containers as the yellow fever mosquito, plus tree holes and other natural cavities.
Its arrival coincided with a sharp decline of Aedes aegypti in much of Florida, which now survives mainly in urban areas. UF/IFAS describes the Asian tiger mosquito as able to carry more than 30 viruses in the lab, including dengue and Zika, but as a less efficient carrier than other Aedes species. It is still worth controlling, if only because it is one of the most persistent daytime biters around homes.
The Night Biters: Culex Mosquitoes
Southern House Mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus)
The southern house mosquito is the plain brown mosquito that whines in your ear at night. UF/IFAS records it in all 67 Florida counties. Females feed through the night on people, other mammals and birds, and lay rafts of 100 or more eggs on nutrient-rich standing water, from wastewater areas and storm-water catch basins to birdbaths and old tires.
It is the principal carrier of St. Louis encephalitis virus in the southern United States and can transmit West Nile virus to people, although UF/IFAS does not consider it the primary West Nile carrier in Florida. Learn how to spot it on our Culex mosquito page.
Florida SLE Mosquito (Culex nigripalpus)
This dark brown, nondescript mosquito has few distinguishing markings, but it matters. UF/IFAS says it is found in all 67 counties and is most abundant in central and southern Florida, including the area from Brevard County south to Miami-Dade and west to Collier. It is the primary carrier of St. Louis encephalitis in the southern half of Florida and was the key mosquito in the state’s SLE epidemics of 1959, 1961, 1962, 1977 and 1990.
Its behavior is tied to rain. Females feed mainly around dusk and before dawn and prefer freshly flooded roadside ditches and agricultural furrows for egg-laying. After a dry spell, a heavy rain of about 2 inches or more in a day floods those ditches and sets off a burst of egg-laying and biting.
Other South Florida Species Worth Knowing
Common Malaria Mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus)
Anopheles mosquitoes are easy to recognize at rest: they hold their bodies at an angle, tail up, instead of parallel to the surface. UF/IFAS calls Anopheles quadrimaculatus historically the most important malaria carrier in the eastern United States. It breeds in fresh water with vegetation and in the temporary pools that form after rain, bites at night and rests by day in dark buildings and shelters.
Malaria was eradicated from the United States in the 1950s, but local transmission still happens occasionally in Florida: UF/IFAS notes eight locally acquired cases in Palm Beach County in 2003, and the CDC documented seven more in Sarasota County in 2023, linked to a related species, Anopheles crucians. This mosquito can also carry dog heartworm.
Black Salt Marsh Mosquito (Aedes taeniorhynchus)
If you live near the coast, in the Keys or along mangroves, this is the mosquito that can make an evening outside impossible. UF/IFAS says it develops in coastal salt marshes, lays its eggs on moist soil above the waterline and hatches when tides or rain flood them, then emerges in large numbers with aggressive biting. It has a long flight range and can turn up far inland.
It feeds mainly at night but bites in the daytime if you disturb its resting spots. It can transmit eastern equine encephalitis, though it is not a primary carrier, and dog heartworm. Because it breeds in marshes rather than yards, large outbreaks are a job for county mosquito control, and flooding after storms can bring similar swarms of floodwater mosquitoes, as we cover in floodwaters and mosquito risks.
A Newcomer: Culex lactator
New species keep arriving. UF/IFAS researchers reported Culex lactator, first found in southern Miami-Dade County in 2018, established in Miami-Dade, Collier and Lee counties. It belongs to the same group as known carriers of West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses, but scientists say it is too early to know whether it will spread disease in Florida.
Day Biters vs. Night Biters: What It Means for Your Protection
The split between Aedes and Culex explains much of the confusion about mosquitoes in South Florida:
- If you get bitten in the daytime, you are most likely dealing with Aedes. Focus on containers: saucers, buckets, toys, gutters and bromeliads. Wear repellent during the day, not just at sunset.
- If you get bitten after dark, Culex is the usual culprit. Look at larger standing water: catch basins, drainage ditches, neglected pools, ponds and septic or wastewater areas. Keep screens in good repair and doors closed in the evening.
- If swarms appear after high tides or storms near the coast, salt marsh or floodwater mosquitoes are hatching. Report large outbreaks to county mosquito control and protect yourself outdoors.
For the health side of the story, read the health risks of mosquito bites.
Controlling the Species Around Your Home
Whatever the species, the steps are the same: remove or treat the water where they breed, reduce the shady places where adults rest, keep them out of the house and protect your skin. The details change with the species, which is why identification comes first.
Toro’s mosquito control service starts with a free inspection to find where mosquitoes breed and hide on your property, from containers and bromeliads to gutters, ponds and shady corners. Technicians treat breeding sites with larvicide granules and growth regulators, apply a plant-oil barrier treatment to the shrubs where adults rest and show you how to cut standing water between visits. Toro’s technicians train at the TORO Institute with on-staff entomologists, the company has protected South Florida since 1969, and if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Contact Toro today
A free inspection & $25 off your first service
A trained Toro technician inspects your home or business, explains what was found and gives you a clear plan and quote, backed by our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee.
305-594-4767Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common mosquito in South Florida?
What do the mosquitoes that carry dengue look like?
Are there new mosquito species in Florida?
Which Florida mosquitoes bite at night?
Do all mosquitoes carry diseases?
Sources
- UF/IFAS study: New mosquito species reported in Florida, UF/IFAS News
- Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae), UF/IFAS Extension
- Southern House Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say, UF/IFAS Extension
- The Florida SLE Mosquito, Culex (Culex) nigripalpus Theobald (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae), UF/IFAS Extension
- Common Malaria Mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae), UF/IFAS Extension
- Black Salt Marsh Mosquito Aedes taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae), UF/IFAS Extension
- Outbreak of Locally Acquired Mosquito-Transmitted (Autochthonous) Malaria — Florida and Texas, May–July 2023, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Educational content. This article is for general information about pests in South Florida and is not medical, legal or professional advice. If you have a bite, sting or allergic reaction, contact your doctor; in an emergency, call 911. Pest problems vary from home to home, so a licensed professional should inspect before treatment. When using any pesticide, always read and follow the product label.
