The Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is originally from Southeast Asia, hence its name, but in the last 30 years it has invaded many countries of the world, including various countries in Europe and the Americas.
This is the result of the mosquitoes being blind passengers in shipments of plants and used tires across the world. Unlike most other native mosquitoes, the Asian tiger mosquito is a day biter and unusually aggressive.It has become a major pest in many communities.
The female tiger mosquitoes normally lay their eggs in stagnant water or small containers filled with water. Flower pots, vases, buckets, water barrels, rain gutters, puddles, or even discarded cups with water in them are used as breeding sites. These mosquitoes also utilize tires because they act as rainwater reservoirs outdoors. Their eggs can even dry out, allowing them to survive droughts. Therefore, the Asian tiger mosquito is perfectly adapted to the urban environment.
The Asian tiger mosquito is characterized by its black and white striped legs. It is a relatively small mosquito species with a black body. Its most striking feature is the white stripe that begins in between the eyes and continues down its back. The abdomen is also striped with broad white bands of scales.
Asian tiger mosquitoes are considered to be the most important transmitting organism, or vector, of a disease called Chikungunya fever . They can also transmit Dengue fever and most probably also other fevers. They are also vectors of a parasitic worm that lives in the blood stream or under the skin of dogs and cats and rarely also humans. This leads to a disease called Dirofilariasis.
The Asian tiger mosquito bites humans, but also birds and other animals. This is why scientists consider it a potential bridge vector, meaning that it may pick up disease agents from animals and transmit them to humans.
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