Aedes albopictus
Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is a species native to Southeast Asia characterized by distinctive black-and-white stripes on its body. This mosquito has spread globally through international trade, first documented in the United States in the mid-1980s, likely arriving via shipments of scrap tires. The Asian tiger mosquito is notable for its aggressive daytime biting behavior, in addition to its activity at dawn and dusk. It is a vector for numerous viruses, including Zika, West Nile, dengue fever, and chikungunya, and poses a risk to both human and animal health due to its ability to transmit diseases.
These mosquitoes thrive in close proximity to human habitation, often laying eggs in small amounts of stagnant water found in containers like flowerpots and bird baths. Control measures against Aedes albopictus are challenging, as they have developed resistance to insecticides, and they do not easily enter common traps. Effective prevention strategies focus on eliminating stagnant water sources near homes. Innovative research in pest control is underway, exploring methods such as radiation and bacterial infections to reduce mosquito populations. Understanding the characteristics and behaviors of Aedes albopictus is crucial for managing its spread and potential health risks.
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Aedes albopictus
Native to Southeast Asia, the Asian tiger mosquito gets its name because of the black-and-white stripes on its body. It may sometimes be referred to by its scientific name, Aedes albopictus, or as the forest mosquito. Via international trade, the Asian tiger mosquito has made its way to North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. It arrived in the United States in the 1980s in scrap tire shipments from Asia.
The Asian tiger mosquito is considered a pest because it bites during the day in addition to at dawn and dusk like other mosquito species. Asian tiger mosquitoes can transmit serious viruses that cause diseases such as the Zika virus, the West Nile virus, dengue fever, and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). The Asian tiger mosquito adapts easily to new environments, making it particularly difficult to control. In 2024, the Global Invasive Species Database included the Asian tiger mosquito on its list of the world’s one hundred worst invasive species.
Background
Adult Asian tiger mosquitoes are about 0.39 inches (10 millimeters) long, but their size varies depending on their food supply. Males are about 20 percent smaller than females. Asian tiger mosquitoes get their name from the striking black-and-white stripes on their legs and the single white stripe running down the center of their back.
Like other mosquitoes, only female tiger mosquitoes bite because they require blood to produce. Both females and males eat plant nectar. Most mosquitoes bite only at dusk and dawn, but tiger mosquitoes also bite during the day. Their bite leaves a red, itchy bump like other mosquitoes.
The life cycle of the Asian tiger mosquito is similar to that of other mosquitoes and includes four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Females lay eggs in stagnant water, such as in flowerpots, pet water bowls, tires, and bird baths. Asian tiger mosquitoes live and breed closer to people than other mosquitoes, and will lay eggs in water that is only a half-inch deep. In colder climates, females lay eggs in winter that do not hatch until spring when they become covered with rainwater. In warmer climates, larvae, also called wigglers, emerge from eggs in about five days and feed on organic matter in the water. Larvae live for about ten days before pupating. The pupa is the non-feeding stage during which a larva grows into an adult mosquito. A female tiger mosquito can lay up to 300 eggs during her lifespan, which lasts only several weeks.
Overview
The Asian tiger mosquito is native to Southeast Asia, but it has made its way to countries throughout the world and established itself as an invasive species. The first documentation of the Asian tiger mosquito in the United States was in Houston, Texas, in 1985, although the mosquito was likely in the country prior to this. It is believed that the Asian tiger mosquito traveled to Texas and other places in shipments of scrap tires from Asia. In 1986, the mosquitoes were discovered in a tire dump in Jacksonville, Florida, and then quickly spread throughout Florida and the eastern United States. Since 1988, the US Public Health Service began requiring the disinfection of all used tires at US ports from areas known to be infested with the Asian tiger mosquito. However, by this time, the mosquito was already in about fifteen US states. By 2024, the Asian tiger mosquito was in twenty-six continental US states, as well as Hawaii.
The Asian tiger mosquito is a vector to at least twenty viruses, including thirteen found in the United States. Among these are the Zika virus, the West Nile virus, the chikungunya virus, dengue fever, and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). The mosquito can also transmit a parasitic roundworm that causes heartworm in dogs and cats. In the past, Asian tiger mosquitoes that have been tested in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania tested positive for the West Nile virus and EEE. The mosquito was responsible for the chikungunya virus epidemic on the French Island of Reunion in 2005, which infected 266,000 people and caused 248 fatalities. Other smaller outbreaks of viruses have been attributed to the Asian tiger mosquito. Because the mosquito bites animals other than humans, experts fear that it may be a bridge vector for viruses that can jump species, such as the West Nile virus. Global climate change has only hastened the ability of these viruses to spread. Despite these concerns, however, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that the mosquito is not a public health threat but should be monitored for disease activity.
It is difficult to control the spread of Asian tiger mosquitoes because they develop a tolerance to insecticides. They usually do not go into bug traps or fly near bug zappers. Foggers only keep them away for a short time. Experts believe that the best way for people to control the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito is by eliminating stagnant water in places near homes such as in old tires, clogged rain gutters, baby pools, and birdbaths. The mosquitoes will lay eggs in very small places, which is why they are called “container mosquitos.” Crevices that can collect water should be filled with sand. Asian tiger mosquitoes do not breed in flowing water. Minnows and dragonfly larvae feed on mosquito eggs and larva.
Researchers in China are experimenting with a new way to suppress the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito on a large scale using low-level radiation and bacteria. Their experiment has nearly eradicated the mosquito on two islands near Guangzhou City in southern China. Researchers captured millions of Asian tiger mosquitoes. They treated the females with low level radiation, which made them infertile and unable to transmit viruses. They bred adult male mosquitoes and gave them bacterial infections that made them infertile. The female and male mosquitoes were released during the mating season in 2016 and 2017. When wild mosquitoes mated with those from the laboratory, they were unable to reproduce. The experiment nearly eradicated the female Asian tiger mosquito population on two islands. Scientists continue to experiment with ovitraps, which trap mosquito eggs, and the potential of releasing dragonflies to feed on mosquito larvae. The removal of stagnant standing water remains the best measure for reducing the population of Asian tiger mosquitoes.
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