Saltmarsh mosquito identification (Aedes sollicitans)


Insect identifier · Mosquitoes

How to identify a Saltmarsh mosquito

Aedes sollicitans
· Also called salt marsh mosquito, new jersey mosquito, aedes sollicitans

Saltmarsh mosquito identification photo

People searching “what does a saltmarsh mosquito look like” or “saltmarsh mosquito bite” want a field ID, not a scare. Saltmarsh mosquito (Aedes sollicitans) is a mosquitoes in this guide. Also called salt marsh mosquito, new jersey mosquito, aedes sollicitans.

A golden mosquito wrecking a beach afternoon is often this species, not a backyard tiger mosquito.

What does a saltmarsh mosquito look like?

Saltmarsh mosquito is Medium, about 6–8 mm. Colors people notice: brown, white, gold. Field marks: Golden-brown with white bands; Bites by day near the coast; Breeds in salt marsh pools, not birdbaths.

Saltmarsh mosquito is Medium, about 6–8 mm. Colors people notice: brown, white, gold. Field marks: Golden-brown with white bands; Bites by day near the coast; Breeds in salt marsh pools, not birdbaths. If the marks fail, open the look-alike pages before forcing this name.

Identification marks

  • Golden-brown with white bands
  • Bites by day near the coast
  • Breeds in salt marsh pools, not birdbaths

Size: Medium, about 6–8 mm
Colors: brown, white, gold
Where: outdoor

What a typical saltmarsh mosquito bite looks like

Typical saltmarsh mosquito bite or sting
A typical pattern. Reactions vary. This is a guide photo, not a diagnosis.

Painful itchy welts, often many at once on exposed skin near the shore. Wash with soap and water Cool compress

Painful itchy welts, often many at once on exposed skin near the shore. Fever, spreading redness, or trouble breathing needs a clinician.

If you were bitten

  1. Wash with soap and water
  2. Cool compress
  3. Itch relief on intact skin only
  4. Seek care for fever, spreading redness, or trouble breathing

Saltmarsh mosquito vs Asian tiger mosquito

Saltmarsh vs Asian tiger: coast and gold-brown bands vs a black mosquito with one white stripe in a suburban yard.

Range and season

Saltmarsh mosquito is active warm months, often in waves after tides. Typical places: marsh, beach, coast. Atlantic and Gulf salt marshes. Fierce day and dusk biter inland of the marsh after high tides.

Barrier islands, salt hay, and back-bay edges from New England to Texas.

Atlantic and Gulf salt marshes. Fierce day and dusk biter inland of the marsh after high tides.

Warm months, often in waves after tides

Common questions

What is a saltmarsh mosquito?

Aedes sollicitans, a coastal mosquito that breeds in salt marsh pools and bites hard by day.

Saltmarsh mosquito vs tiger mosquito?

Tiger mosquitoes are small, black, and striped, and live in containers. Saltmarsh mosquitoes are browner and tied to the coast.

Related identification pages