Culex tarsalis

{{Short description|Mosquito species}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = CulexTarsalis 4561.jpg

| genus = Culex

| species = tarsalis

| authority = Coquillett, 1896

}}

Culex tarsalis, also known as Western Encephalitis Mosquito,{{cite web|url=https://bugguide.net/node/view/83954#names|title=Culex tarsalis - Western Encephalitis Mosquito|access-date=26 March 2022|date=19 October 2006|author=Omar Fahmy|work=Bug Guide|publisher=Iowa State University}} is a mosquito species that appears across North America. The species has black and white banding on the legs.

The species is a major vector of Saint Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis virus in the western USA.{{cite journal |last1=Troyo |first1=Adriana |last2=González-Sequeira |first2=María Paula |last3=Aguirre-Salazar |first3=Mónica |last4=Cambronero-Ortíz |first4=Ian |last5=Chaves-González |first5=Luis Enrique |last6=Mejías-Alpízar |first6=María José |last7=Alvarado-Molina |first7=Kendall |last8=lderón-Arguedas Ca|first8=Ólger |last9=Rojas-Araya |first9=Diana |title=Acknowledging extraordinary women in the history of medical entomology |journal=Parasites and Vectors |date=2022 |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=114 |doi=10.1186/s13071-022-05234-6 |pmid=35361284 |pmc=8969321 |doi-access=free }} It is also a confirmed vector of West Nile virus.{{Cite web|url=https://eol.org/pages/473|title = Mosquitos - Encyclopedia of Life}}Sandhu TS, Williams GW, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Population dynamics of blood-fed female mosquitoes and comparative efficacy of resting boxes in collecting them from the northwestern part of Riverside County, California. J Global Infect Dis [serial online] 2013 [cited 2013 Oct 22];5:15-8.Sandhu TS, Williams GA, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Evaluation of arboviral activity at Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District, Riverside County, California during 2008. Proc and Papers of the Mosq and Vector Control Assoc of Calif, vol 77, 2009. p. 108-15.