Kipahulu Valley, Haleakalā National Park, Maui eDNA Quantitative PCR to Detect the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, 2023-2024

Environmental DNA (eDNA) may be used as a non-invasive surveillance tool to complement traditional mosquito monitoring techniques, potentially providing a broader window of time to assess whether mosquito larvae had recently emerged from ephemeral water sources despite the lack of visual confirmation. Water samples and negative controls were taken in the field from a variety of water sources in two primary locations, Delta and Palikea Camps, within native forests of Kipahulu Valley Maui, during 2022 and 2023. Water was filtered using three different filter types and techniques. Water sources sampled included those with visible mosquito larvae of two species, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes japonicus. eDNA was collected from water sources using three different filtering techniques and filter types. eDNA was extracted from water filter samples using three different extraction techniques. We used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay (qPCR) on field collected water samples, field negative controls, and extraction blanks to test for the presence of Culex DNA. Data presented here describes the filter types, larval observations, volume of water filtered, extraction method, and qPCR amplification results during 2023-2024.