Category B – Mosquito Biology and Control Practice Test

Jamestown Canyon virus is a California serogroup orthobunyavirus transmitted by mosquitoes in North America. The mosquitoes that truly link to this virus are the ones shown to naturally harbor it or experimentally transmit it, demonstrating their role in the virus’s cycle. Aedes hexadontus and Aedes tahoensis have been identified in field studies as carriers of Jamestown Canyon virus and have also shown vector competence in laboratory settings, meaning they can acquire the virus, allow it to replicate, and pass it on through their bites. This combination of natural association and demonstrated transmission makes them the best fit for being the species associated with Jamestown Canyon virus. Other mosquito pairs listed are not as strongly supported by evidence as JCV vectors, or are better known for transmitting other viruses.