Bug FAQWhite-footed Woods Mosquito
Psorophora ferox · Order: Diptera · Family: Culicidae
Source: Wikipedia
The white-footed woods mosquito is a small, aggressive biter that lives in wet woodlands and breeds in temporary rain pools. It can transmit Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and has been found as a minor vector of West Nile virus.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its back is dark with a purple sheen, while the belly is yellowish with triangular patches of yellow scales. The legs are mostly dark but the last two segments of each foot have white scales.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Female wings measure about 3.7 to 4.0 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Bites are painful and the species can transmit Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. It has also been identified as a minor vector of West Nile virus in New York.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in wet woodland areas and lays eggs in short-lived rain-filled pools.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults are aggressive feeders that give painful bites.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae develop during the summer months in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active both day and night.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, Massachusetts, Illinois, Indiana, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do white-footed woods mosquitoes bite?
Yes, they are aggressive feeders and their bites are painful.
Source: Wikipedia
Can they spread disease?
They can carry Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and have been found to transmit West Nile virus in limited cases.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do they live?
They inhabit wet woodlands and breed in temporary rain-filled pools.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Culicidae)
Asian Tiger MosquitoAedes albopictusCan spread germs or disease
House Mosquito ComplexCulex pipiensCan spread germs or disease
Yellow Fever MosquitoAedes aegyptiCan spread germs or disease
Inland Floodwater MosquitoAedes vexansCan spread germs or disease
Asian Bush MosquitoAedes japonicusCan bite
Southern House MosquitoCulex quinquefasciatusCan spread germs or diseaseSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psorophora_ferox
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.