Asian Tiger Mosquito

Asian Tiger Mosquito

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Population control

Effects

1) They biologically controlled the larvae by finding predators that eat it leaving less of it as food for the mosquitoes.

2) They used pesticides in certain areas to kill off all the mosquitoes in that certain area without risk

Environmental Impacts

The Asian Tiger Mosquito's biggest environmental impact is the fact that like most mosquito's it carries many diseases. This insect obtains many diseases such as West Nile virus and Encephalitis. It then spreads these diseases around the environment to different animals and then the diseases find there way into the humans through the food chain. This is very harmful to the environment, the mosquito's also usually like to stay around human housing therefor more people and obtain these diseases striaght from a bite.

Economic Impacts

As you heard in the Environmental impacts paragraph these mosquito's carry very dangerous diseases. Now this does not just affect the health of people but it also affects the government budget. According to the university of Georgia the U.S spent 30 million dollars to get rid of these insects. So as you can see these Mosquitoes are affecting the economy greatly causeing the government of the U.S to spend a lot of money to get rid of them and there diseases.

Its arrival and location in North America

Social Impacts

Most of the political and social impacts that this insect has on the society are the same as the other impacts it has such as the disease problem and the money problem in the government.

Location in North America

Arrival in North America

The Asian Tiger Mosquito is located mostly in the North Eastern states in the U.S and in the very Southern part of Canada. It has also been seen in Europe, Africa and part of South Africa

The Asian Tiger Mosquito was introduced into North America in December of 2007. It arrived through transporting goods from its native habitat in southeast Asia, the mosquito's were transported as eggs in the shipping crates. It has also invaded some parts of Europe and South America.

Asian Tiger Mosquito

Description :

The Asian Tiger Mosquito or species name Aedes Albopictus is an insect in the Mosquito (Culicidea) family. It is native to the tropical areas of southeast Asia. It is most easily characterized by its black and white striped legs and its small black and white striped body.

Life Cycle

Physical Characteristics

How its benefited in its new habitat and what allows it to take over.

Adult Insect

The life cycle of a Asian Tiger Mosquito starts off with the adult Mosquito's. The female first needs to obtain a large amount of blood in order to reproduce. Once she has obtained the blood the the male and female Mosquito's mate to create the eggs.

The Asian Tiger Mosquito is about 2 to 10mm in size. The difference in body size varies depending on the density of the larval population for food supply. The males are usually 20% smaller then the female.

Pupa

Egg

When the Asian Tiger Mosquito was introduced to its new habitat in North America it was easily able to take over its new habitat. This is because this mosquito is known to be a very aggressive insect so it was able to then scare away most of the other insects. It was also able to populate the area fairly quick because of its efficient life cycle and because of the fact that these mosquito's can breed where normal mosquito's cannot. This meant the food for the other insects was being taken by the many Asian tiger mosquito's which also got rid of insects in the area. They also brought in disease that helped to remove insects in there habitat. This is how they "took over" there new habitat.

After the fourth and final larva stage the mosquito develops into the pupa. From there it is a short period of time before the mosquito emerges from the pupa into the full Asian tiger mosquito.

After the reproduction system has been done by the adult mosquito's the eggs are made. There are usually placed slightly above a water surface. Then the eggs slowly develop into larva as they move into the water.

This insect has a very unique black and

white striped pattern along its entire

body. It has silvery scales around its eyes.

The proboscis (nose) of the insect is a very

dark color. The best way to identify a

Asian Tiger mosquito is the silver scales around its eyes.

Larva

After the eggs moved into the water they were placed above they develop into larva. Then they go through the four growing stages of the larva. Each stage the larva grows. Between each stage the larva go's through moulting or shedding of its shell.

By Lucas Benjamin