Asian Tiger Mosquitoes: Evolution at its Finest --- by Andrew Rava --- Muhlenberg College Class of 2016

I have a personal vendetta against mosquitoes.  Whenever a mosquito decides to take its blood meal from me, the bites swell up immensely and seem to itch endlessly.  My “wounds” have been compared to the swelling of Violet Beauregard into a blueberry from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  So in preparing to come to Muhlenberg College, I did some research to see what I would be up against.  I discovered that the Lehigh Valley was home to a plentiful amount of mosquitoes.  Being the loving and caring mother that she is, my mom cleaned out the local Target store of all the Benadryl and Off bug spray to ensure that I would survive the onslaught of mosquitoes in Allentown.  However, I did not discover the notorious Asian Tiger Mosquito until now.

Recently, there has been an increasing number of reports of seeing the infamous Asian Tiger Mosquito, or Aedes albopictus.  This species is about the same size as any typical mosquito, with a very distinctive pattern of black and white stripes on its abdomen; hence the inclusion of the “tiger” in its common name.   These mosquitoes are an extremely invasive species that was brought to the United States in the 1980’s through the import of used tires.   They have certain characteristics that I paid the most attention too, which are that they are extremely persistent biters, biting at any time of the day, and they often need more than one bite to fulfill an entire blood meal.  This blood meal is then used to convert your blood protein into protein for their eggs, as only the females bite.  The persistence of this mosquito is strikes me the most because I may end up with multiple “swollen blueberry bites” rather than just one.  So you can understand why these Asian Tiger Mosquitoes may turn into my worst nightmare.

As I said previously, this species was first seen in the United States, as well as in Lehigh Valley in the 1980’s.  However, they disappeared in the 1990s, eventually reappearing now.  This odd disappearance raised some questions that offered up some different explanations.  One such explanation is that these mosquitoes may be evolving to our climate.  The females lay their eggs in any water-filled container, whether it is natural or artificial.  The eggs do not hatch in the typical 3 to 5 days.  Rather, they are in a semi-frozen state of suspension throughout the winter, allowing them to hatch in the spring and increase the population size rapidly. The Asian Tiger Mosquitoes display one of the most impressive forms of evolution in any animal.  They truly are an example of evolution at its finest.

Despite being a pesky and persistent mosquito, the Asian Tiger Mosquito has yet to be proven to spread the West Nile Virus in the Lehigh Valley, although studies have shown that the species is capable of transmitting the virus.  West Nile Virus typically is transmitted by the kinds of mosquitoes that prefer to bite both birds and humans.  Asian Tiger Mosquitoes generally stick to mammals, which are generally not very good at passing the virus to mosquitoes.

If the United States had an “FBI most unwanted list,” the Asian Tiger Mosquito would be high on the list. The fact that the Asian Tiger Mosquitoes are invasive and hard to get rid of can be of concern for those living in the area.  They can easily avoid being killed by your hand, or magazine if that is your weapon of choice, because they are good fliers.  No one ever says, “Hey, let’s get an Asian Tiger Mosquito as a pet!”  That would be ludicrous, and for good reason.  It is difficult to imagine any society in which mosquitoes are welcomed in.

With that being said, the most unwanted species in America must have a kryptonite that causes its downfall.  The most common prevention method being used is the inhibition of the reproductive cycle.  This can be achieved by removing any standing water sources, such as birdbaths, planters, tree holes, etc.  By removing these sources of still water, the females cannot lay their eggs because the water is required.  Essentially, no water equals not being able to reproduce which means no growth of population.  Another frequently used technique of prevention is the typical bug sprays and repellents that contain DEET.  Repellents containing around 10-25% DEET are the most effective in the length of protections against these mosquitoes.