Asian tiger mosquito (Dengue, Zicka)

Asian tiger mosquito (Dengue, Zicka)

Aedes albopictus

Insect with chitinous carapace
Flying, biting, sucking
Parasite, disease vector

Hygiene and health pest

The asian tiger mosquito is mainly responsible for the transmission of Dengue Fever and the Zika Virus, but also the dangerous Chikungunya Fever or the West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever and St. Louis Encephalitis.

Transmission of diseases

As this mosquito is considered to be a vector of various diseases, some of which are very dangerous for humans, great attention is paid to its rapid spread in Europe.
Dengue Fever is a contagious viral disease transmitted mainly by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes to humans in tropical and subtropical regions. After an incubation period of 4 to 10 days, severe flu-like symptoms appear and last for 2 to 7 days. In most cases, Dengue Fever disappears on its own.
The Zika Virus is a viral infectious disease that has increased in tropical and subtropical regions in recent years. The Zika Virus is transmitted by yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), also called tiger mosquitoes or dengue mosquitoes. Besides the Zika Virus, it can also transmit Dengue Fever and Yellow Fever, as the name suggests. Fever, conjunctivitis and joint pain are typical symptoms of the Zika Virus. Pregnant women infected with the Zika Virus can pass this on to their children and cause severe damage. However, an infection with the Zika Virus usually heals in a few days without any consequences.

MORE DATA

Size: 4 to 10mm
Weight: Variable
Age: As imago approx.1 to 4 weeks
Appearance: Black and white stripes
Food: Blood and nectar
Sexual dimorphism: Yes
Feeding type: ♀ Blood eater (haematophagous), ♂ plant sap sucker
Distribution: North America, South America, Europe, Southeast Asia
Original location: South-East Asia
Sleep-wake rhythm: Diurnal
Habitat: Unspecific
Natural enemies: Predatory insects
Sexual maturity: Immediately upon completion of development from larva to insect
Mating season: Location-dependent Egg laying: 30 to 100 eggs
Threatened with extinction: No

The Asian tiger mosquito or Stegomyia albopicta refers to a mosquito that originates from the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia.
The Asian tiger mosquito is named after the striking patterns on its legs, which are striped in black and white. The white lines on its back and head are also clear distinguishing features.
Since the late 1970s, the Asian tiger mosquito has increasingly spread to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America. In today’s Europe, it is not only found in the Balkan and Mediterranean countries, but also in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Due to global warming, warmer winters and more precipitation also provide ideal living conditions for the adaptable Asian tiger mosquito in colder parts of Europe.
Currently, the Asian tiger mosquito is one of the 100 fastest spreading species in the world.
Like all other mosquitoes, only female mosquitoes can lay eggs by sucking blood. Females use the blood of birds and mammals as an important food source in addition to human blood.
Females suck on active hosts during the day, which is why the blood intake is often interrupted and continued on another host. This makes the Asian tiger mosquito so significant as a vector of pathogens, not only from human to human, but also from animal to human.
Males feed only on nectar and plant sap, so they pose no threat.
After mating, the female lays up to 90 eggs each individually in ponds, puddles and biotopes or even in a tree stump.
The larvae hatch after two weeks at the latest and are an important food source for many insects, worms and crustaceans.