Points to Consider When Establishing and Rearing CulexMosquitoes in the Laboratory

Culexmosquitoes transmit several pathogens to humans and animals, including viruses that cause West Nile fever and St. Louis encephalitis and filarial nematodes that cause canine heartworm and elephantiasis. Additionally, these mosquitoes have a cosmopolitan distribution and provide interesting models for understanding population genetics, overwintering dormancy, disease transmission, and other important and ecological questions. However, unlike Aedesmosquitoes that produce eggs that can be stored for weeks at a time, no obvious “stopping” point exists in the development of Culexmosquitoes. Therefore, these mosquitoes require nearly continuous care and attention. Here, we describe some general considerations when rearing laboratory colonies of Culexmosquitoes. We highlight different methods so that readers may choose what works best for their experimental needs and laboratory infrastructure. We hope that this information will enable additional scientists to conduct laboratory research on these important disease vectors.