A video that I made to try and explain mark-release-recapture experiments for mosquitoes. As discussed in this other post, mark-release-recapture experiments are a way of estimating aspects of mosquito ecology, for example, their life expectancy or the distance they disperse. The above video illustrates the way in which these experiments are designed: a number of mosquitoes are marked (typically with a fluorescent dye) and released; on subsequent days mosquitoes are captured and the numbers of marked mosquitoes present in the collection recorded. The faster the rate of decline in the number of captured mosquitoes, the faster the mosquitoes are dying (illustrated by those mosquitoes that turn red above) and/or flying out of the experiment boundaries. Whilst quite a ‘low-tech’ approach, MRR experiments remain one of our most important methods for understanding wild mosquito populations.