Yuliia Skrypniuk - Week 3 with DNREC Fish and Wildlife Division
This week has been another exciting chapter full of learning, exploring, and sharpening new skills in entomology and environmental fieldwork.
On Monday, due to the rain, we couldn’t go out into the field for tick collection. Instead, we focused on tick identification in the lab. In the first half of the day, we examined ticks that had been collected earlier from roadkill animals. Sorting through the samples was challenging—many still had fur and hair attached, making it hard to isolate the ticks. For me, one of the trickiest parts was telling apart a blacklegged adult male tick from a well-fed lone star nymph. But once under the microscope, the differences became clearer, especially when looking closely at the legs and mouthparts.
Later in the day, we visited several veterinary clinics that had partnered with us to collect ticks. We exchanged their filled vials for new ones, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh samples for study. Then we headed to the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science for a special visit. Dr. Matthew R. Halley, an ornithologist and the assistant curator of birds, gave us a mini-tour of the museum’s bird collection. It was amazing to see the importance of maintaining historical collections—many of the species there are now extinct. One particularly fascinating moment was when we were asked to identify ticks found on preserved birds. One blacklegged tick had even been found on the inner eyelid (ouch!) of a cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum). We also explored other rare features, like the sclerotic eye ring in birds, explaining why owls, for example, can’t move their eyes. It was an unforgettable experience!
Tuesday brought us back outside. We returned to a Kent County park we had visited two weeks earlier to drag the flag and collect ticks again. DNREC has agreements with certain state parks to allow tick sampling twice per month, helping to track changes over time. It felt meaningful to contribute to this ongoing dataset. In the afternoon, we joined a powerful presentation by Dr. Ashley Kennedy, DNREC’s tick biologist. She shared her expertise and spoke about her efforts to raise awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases, including a recent address she gave to Delaware’s state congress. It was inspiring to see how field science can be brought into policy conversations.
Wednesday focused on mosquito identification—a more delicate and demanding task. We studied the most common mosquito species in Delaware, using the book Mosquitoes of the Southeastern United States by Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena as a guide. Unlike ticks, which often have bold and obvious markings, mosquito identification requires a microscope and an eye for tiny details. We had to examine things like the width and position of leg bands, abdominal patterns, and markings—or lack thereof—on the scutum. Mosquitoes are also very fragile once collected, so one wrong move with forceps can damage important ID features. It was difficult, but it taught me patience and attention to detail. I also learned that Delaware is home to four main mosquito genera: Aedes, Anopheles, Coquillettidia, and Culex—each with its own subtypes and unique characteristics.
On Friday, we took a trip to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Kent County. From there, we launched a boat into nearby saltwater marshes to monitor mosquito populations. We used the dipper to collect samples from various points across the marsh. We were on the lookout for different mosquito life stages, hoping to get a clear picture of the situation. Fortunately, things looked under control—just a few larvae here and there. It was a great feeling to know that our earlier interventions and monitoring efforts were helping to maintain balance in the environment. 
Pic. 3. "The hottest" spot in salty marshes
Every week of this internship brings something new—from delicate lab work to swampy boat rides—and I’m so grateful to be part of a team that’s making a real difference for both public health and Delaware’s ecosystems.
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