Are Tiger Mosquitoes A Problem In The United States?

Are Tiger Mosquitoes A Problem In The United States?

By now, there is no doubt that you have heard of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. This is the common mosquito that is mostly responsible for the spread of the Zika virus in various regions of the world. However, there are other types of mosquitoes that can spread the Zika virus, and one of these mosquitoes is known as the Aedes albopictus, or the tiger mosquito. So far, the tiger mosquito does not seem to be a significant Zika threat within the United States. The tiger mosquito does not dwell in many US states. This is because the tiger mosquito is not native to the US. The tiger mosquito arrived within the continental US during the 1980s, but since then, this mosquito has spread to many humid southern and southeastern states.

This mosquito is native to New Guinea and the islands within the Indian Ocean. This mosquito was brought to America within a shipment of tires that were imported from Japan, and the mosquito was first discovered in America when scientists spotted many of them dwelling within Houston, Texas.

The tiger mosquito, although small, is easy to differentiate from the more common aedes aegypti mosquito. This is due to the tiger mosquitoes black and white checkered legs. This mosquito also has a white stripe that runs down the middle of its thorax. Not only that, but the tiger mosquito even possess a pattern of white dots on its abdomen. The tiger mosquito resembles many other small flying insects, especially other mosquitoes. However, the tiger mosquito can easily be picked from a line-up due to the perspicuous white stripe located on its thorax. The tiger mosquito can spread the west Nile virus in addition to the Zika virus, and the CDC keeps this mosquito closely monitored due to its disease spreading potential.

Have you ever spotted a tiger mosquito? If you have, then where were you located at the time?