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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Mosquitoes and Midges (Culicomorpha) » Mosquitoes (Culicidae) » Aedini » Aedes » Asian Rock Pool Mosquito (Aedes japonicus)

Species Aedes japonicus - Asian Rock Pool Mosquito

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References

Asian Rock Pool Mosquito - Aedes japonicus

Asian rock pool mosquito - Aedes japonicus - female

Mosquito female - Aedes japonicus - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))

Infraorder Culicomorpha (Mosquitoes and Midges)

Family Culicidae (Mosquitoes)

Tribe Aedini

Genus Aedes

Species japonicus (Asian Rock Pool Mosquito)

Other Common Names

East Asian bush or rock pool mosquito

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Ochlerotatus (Finlaya) japonicus (Theobald)

Aedes (Finlaya) japonicus (Theobald) - still widely in use...

Explanation of Names

japonicus - sp. originally described from Japan

Identification

Larvae:

The head is dark colored and the abdomen is creamy colored.

Adult Female:

The pattern on the scutum is distinctive. There are 5 golden striped scales and the lateral scales are pale and white in a lyre shape. There are also broad pale basal bands on the hind tarsomeres. The proboscis is dark and unbanded, sometimes with silvery scales.

Range

ne N. Amer. (BG data)

Habitat

The eggs are usually laid in the rim of an artificial container. Any aritifical container will do for the larvae as long as it has enough food (decaying organic matter)

Season

Larvae: March - November

Adults: mostly May-Oct (BG data)

Food

Females prefer blood from mammals

Life Cycle

Overwinters as an egg or larva. Multivoltine

Remarks

This species was accidentally introduced from Japan in the late 90s. It was first identified in 1998 in New Jersey. It is an important vector of West Nile virus. The females are very aggressive biters.

Internet References

The Ecology of the Exotic Mosquito Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus Theobald

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - (ECDC)

Rutgers University (broken)

Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason on 1 June, 2006 - 8:40am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, anitagould, Chuck Entz, Omar Fahmy, Mike Quinn, Ben Coulter
Last updated 12 October, 2021 - 1:09pm

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