(2nd Place) Does light pollution interfere with seasonal responses in mosquitoes?

Light pollution in cities is caused by Artificial Light at Night (ALAN), and is an increasingly relevant form of environmental disturbance because it interferes with natural Light:Dark cycles that regulate insect daily and seasonal biology. We examined whether ALAN interferes with seasonal phenology and physiology in the Northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, the primary vector of West Nile virus. Adult females of this species enter a state of developmental arrest, or diapause, primarily cued by short daylengths in fall. While in diapause, females accumulate nutrient reserves to survive the winter, halt reproductive development, cease blood-feeding and therefore cannot transmit pathogens. We examined if exposure to ALAN in the field affected seasonal responses in mosquitoes and hypothesized that exposure to dim ALAN during fall will inhibit diapause initiation in this species. Mosquitoes were reared within enclosures residential landscapes in September and October that were either exposed to light sources, such as a porch light, or in a dark location at the same location. Adult mosquitoes were then returned to the lab to evaluate their diapause status. Preliminary results show that exposure to ALAN in the field during October induced blood-feeding in females of Cx. pipiens. Currently, municipal mosquito surveillance in Columbus, Ohio and surrounding areas occurs from late Spring to the end of September. Our results indicate mosquitoes may continue to pose a risk later in the season and management programs may need to extend further into the fall to protect communities from biting nuisance and vector-borne disease risk.