Gallinipper

Psorophora ciliata occurs east of the Continental Divide of the Americas with a range from South Dakota south to Central America and east to Quebec and Florida. In South America, P. ciliata can be found in tropic or temperate environments. These insects may live for up to two years from birth.

Not only are these mosquitoes aggressive towards humans and other animals as adults, but P. ciliata larvae are known for preying on other mosquito species' larvae and even tadpoles. Campos, Fernandez, and Sy found in their 2004 study that P. ciliata were frequent predators to the mosquito species Ochlerotatus albifasciatus in Buenos Aires, Argentina and impact the populations of O. albifasciatus. Females are aggressive, preferring to feed on large mammals, and are most active during spring and summer in woodlands or fields during the day or night. They lay eggs either as single eggs on moist soil, or as an egg raft on top of ephemeral pools of water. Typically, females in the genus are capable of laying their eggs on dry or damp land to hatch months or years later, depending on the species.