Aedes canadensis was originally described as Culex canadensis by the British entomologist Frederick Vincent Theobald in his 1901 monograph entitled A monograph of the Culicidae of the World, published by the British Museum (Natural History), from specimens collected in Ontario.

A. canadensis was placed in the newly raised genus Ochlerotatus by these workers, these studies also placed it in its own monotypic sub-genus Culicada.

[1][5] Female Aedes canadensis gain blood meals from a wide range of large and small animals, birds and reptiles.

[1] They overwinter as eggs and in late winter and spring large numbers of larvae hatch.

The females are seldom troublesome to humans in eastern North America, even when recently emerged females are extremely abundant, however, in the western part of its range they readily and persistently bite people, especially in areas of shade and throughout most of the day.