''Aedes vexans'', the inland floodwater mosquito or tomguito, is a cosmopolitan and common pest

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

. This species has been collected in southern California.

Description

The adult female has a bandless

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

, short, brown scales on the

scutum The ''scutum'' (; plural ''scuta'') was a type of shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity, most notably by the army of ancient Rome starting about the fourth century BC. The Romans adopted it when they switched from the military formati ...

, and B-shaped (when viewed from the side) markings on each abdominal

tergite A ''tergum'' (Latin for "the back"; plural ''terga'', associated adjective tergal) is the dorsal ('upper') portion of an arthropod segment other than the head. The anterior edge is called the 'base' and posterior edge is called the 'apex' or 'mar ...

. Only the female takes blood meals, preferring humans and cattle. Males feed on nectar, honeydew, and

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...

, on which females also feed, although rarely. They are usually found in association with grassy pools, partially shaded woodland pools, roadside ditches, and cultivated fields.

Lifecycle

After taking a blood meal, the female lays her eggs in areas that readily flood, where they hatch when inundated. Larvae are found from April through September and adults from May through October in their central range.

Medical importance

''A. vexans'' is a known vector of ''

Dirofilaria immitis ''Dirofilaria immitis'', also known as heartworm or dog heartworm, is a parasitic roundworm that is a type of filarial worm, a small thread-like worm, that causes dirofilariasis. It is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoe ...

'' (dog heartworm),

myxomatosis Myxomatosis is a disease caused by ''Myxoma virus'', a poxvirus in the genus '' Leporipoxvirus''. The natural hosts are tapeti (''Sylvilagus brasiliensis'') in South and Central America, and brush rabbits (''Sylvilagus bachmani'') in North A ...

(a deadly rabbit viral disease), and Tahyna virus, a seldom-diagnosed ''

Bunyaviridae ''Bunyavirales'' is an order of segmented negative-strand RNA viruses with mainly tripartite genomes. Member viruses infect arthropods, plants, protozoans, and vertebrates. It is the only order in the class ''Ellioviricetes''. The name ''Bunyav ...

'' virus, which affects humans in Europe, causing a fever which disappears after 2 days, but afterward can cause encephalitis or meningitis. ''A. vexans'' is the most common mosquito in Europe, often comprising more than 80% the European mosquito community. Its abundance depends upon availability of floodwater pools. In summer, up to 8,000 mosquitoes can be collected per trap per night. ''A. vexans'' exhibited significantly higher transmission rates of Zika virus than ''A. aegypti'', and its wide geographic distribution, periodic extreme abundance, and aggressive human biting behavior increase its potential to serve as a

Zika virus ''Zika virus'' (ZIKV; pronounced or ) is a member of the virus family ''Flaviviridae''. It is spread by daytime-active '' Aedes'' mosquitoes, such as '' A. aegypti'' and '' A. albopictus''. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, w ...

vector Vector most often refers to: *Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction *Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematic ...

in northern latitudes outside the range of the primary vectors ''A. aegypti'' and '' A. albopictus''.Kyle L. O’Donnell, Mckenzie A. Bixby, Kelsey J. Morin, David S. Bradley, and Jefferson A. Vaughan. 2017. Potential of a Northern Population of ''Aedes vexans'' ( Diptera:

Culicidae Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...

) to Transmit

Zika Virus ''Zika virus'' (ZIKV; pronounced or ) is a member of the virus family ''Flaviviridae''. It is spread by daytime-active '' Aedes'' mosquitoes, such as '' A. aegypti'' and '' A. albopictus''. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, w ...

Journal of Medical Entomology A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

, 2017, 1–6; doi: 10.1093/jme/tjx087. In addition to several medically important viruses ''Aedes vexans'' mosquitoes have also been shown to harbour the insect-specific flavivirus Chaoyang virus and insect-specific Aedes vexans Iflavirus.

References

External links

New Jersey Mosquito Homepage, Characteristics, Bionomics, Medical Importance

{{Taxonbar, from=Q144273 vexans Insects described in 1830