The Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus orStegomyia albopicta) is a small insect from the Culicidae family of mosquitoes. It is also known as the Forest Day Mosquito.
The Asian Tiger Mosquito has white bands on its long, thin, silvery-black legs and black body. It has a single silvery-white line of scales that begins between its eyes and continues down its back. It has bushy antennae and compound eyes. It has a dark-coloured proboscis (long nose) for sucking blood from the body of animals or humans.
It grows to 2-10 millimetres (less than half an inch) in length. The male is smaller than the female.
The Asian Tiger Mosquito is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of southeast Asia. It favours close contact with humans around water, rather than living in wetlands. It transmits many viral pathogens (human diseases), including dengue fever and yellow river river.
It is crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk. It also flies and feeds during the day. The female feeds on blood, which she collects from animals, birds, or humans to feed her eggs. The male feeds on nectar from flowers and plant juice. Beetles and spiders eat mosquitoes.
The female lays eggs near water, usually on a stagnant pool. The eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae form a casing called a pupal case. The adult mosquito emerges from the pupal case. The whole process is called metamorphosis (transformation).
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM