Theresa has been with the District since 2008.  She works with the laboratory on surveillance of invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, West Nile Virus surveillance, mosquito population monitoring and identification, general arthropod identification, surveillance of tick-borne diseases, and data analysis. 

Theresa graduated with a Masters of Science degree in biology from San Francisco State University where she studied aquatic insect ecology.  Previously she worked at a non-profit environmental organization in San Diego and received her Bachelors of Science degree in ecology, behavior and evolution from University of California, San Diego.

Theresa's answers to a few questions about working with the District:

What is your favorite part of your job?


My favorite part is insect identification requests for residents, especially when they bring the specimen in person to the office. There’s the initial spark of curiosity when Devina calls or comes up to the lab to tell us that someone is in the lobby with an identification request – what is it going to be? Will it be something unusual? Will it be alive and we can keep it as a pet?

If it’s difficult to identify immediately, I can look at it more closely with the microscope, and it becomes a mini mystery to solve with photo guides and identification keys, or the personal knowledge of coworkers. Most of the time they are typical organisms like household pests or seasonal insects I’ve seen often, but it is still satisfying to give the resident information they need either to manage the pest or understand its harmless or even beneficial qualities.

What interest/background brought you to this job?


My elementary education had a very strong emphasis on ecology and natural history, so I decided at a young age that I wanted to be a field biologist. I thought I would go into marine biology, and took classes oriented in that direction in college. Marine invertebrate ecology lab got me interested in invertebrates.

Over time, I realized I like freshwater environments like rivers, streams, and lakes more than ocean environments, plus I discovered I get seasick easily, so for my master’s program I focused on freshwater entomology.  I learned about the District when I sat in on a medical entomology class and the District lab director at the time gave a presentation. I thought I’d go into the conservation field, but I enjoy learning about diseases, and also there was a job opening at the District at the time I was finishing my thesis. 

What is something you wish everyone knew about mosquitoes?

I wish everyone knew about the variety of mosquito species there are, even just in San Mateo County. Many people have the misconception that there is only one species, called “mosquito.” We have a wide range with different natural histories, they live in different habitats, they are present in different seasons, they vector different diseases or aren’t disease vectors, they look different, they prefer different types of animal blood, and some don’t bite people at all. They are attracted to different lures, colors, shapes, etc., so some we rarely see because they aren’t attracted to the traps we use. I think the details of each type are fascinating.

Our staff work throughout the entire County. What is your favorite spot in the County? And/or where is the best view in the County?


I prefer foggy views to clear days. I love the drive along Skyline Blvd. south of 92 headed to Woodside. The views from Sweeney Ridge are amazing, looking out over the reservoir toward the bay. If I’m walking around, I like any of the redwood forests in the southwest part of the county.