The First Record of Aedes (Hulecoeteomyia) japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Its Establishment in Western Canada

J Med Entomol. 2016 Jan;53(1):241-4. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjv164. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

Abstract

The potential disease-carrying mosquito, Aedes japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae), was identified among larvae collected in suburban Vancouver, BC, in July 2014, and over 200 were found at the same site in February 2015 where it presumably had overwintered in the egg stage. In late May 2015, a female was captured taking a bloodmeal 13 km east of the larval site. This population and those in the Washington and Oregon states are clearly disjunct from those in eastern North America, and their origin, probably from one or more different introductions from Asia, is discussed. Key characters of those in British Columbia are examined and match the description of subspecies japonicus, presumably like the others in North America.

Keywords: distribution; invasive species; overwintering; virus vector.

MeSH terms

  • Aedes*
  • Animals
  • British Columbia
  • Female
  • Insect Vectors*