Biogents Mosquito Blog

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) are relatively small and have a black body with clearly visible white stripes (Figure 1 A, B, C).

But be careful, not every dark mosquito with stripes is a tiger mosquito! In Central Europe, for example, the banded mosquito (Culiseta annulata) is present in very many residential areas. It is dark brown and has conspicuously striped legs and abdomen, and there are spots on its wings (Figure 1 D). The Asian tiger mosquito is not dark but distinctly black in color, with a silvery-white line running down the middle of the head and thorax. Furthermore, the tiger mosquito is smaller than the banded mosquito.

Mosquito surveillance – what is this?

By conducting a mosquito surveillance, you can answer questions such as: Which mosquito species are present? Where are they? At what times during the year do they appear and disappear? This can be archieved by collecting, counting and identifying adult mosquitoes (or their larvae, pupae or eggs). In some areas collected specimen are also screened for the presence of pathogens, such as West-Nile-Virus or Dengue virus. This provides a better overview of regions at risk.