Field estimates of the flight speed of some West African mosquitoes

Abstract

There was a relationship between wind speed and catches of Anopheles melas and Culex thalassius which attempted to bite man at ground level and at 4 and 8 m on an open scaffolding tower, in cleared bush in The Gambia. It was expected that in winds which exceeded their flight speed, no mosquitoes would be able to approach and attack men on the tower. Catches of mosquitoes fell off sharply in winds of 120 cm/s, which may approximate to their flight speed, although some insects were still captured at the highest wind speeds encountered.