Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger Mosquito)
Giovanni Benelli,1,
* André B.B. Wilke,2
and John C. Beier2
1
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2
Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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Aedes albopictus originated in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is currently ranked among the top 100
invasive species worldwide and can be found on all continents. It is a vector of chikungunya, dengue, and Zika
viruses, and the ﬁlarial worms that cause diroﬁlariasis, among other agents. Ae. albopictus is a zoophilic species,
but a preference for human blood meals is known. It has high levels of ecological and physiological plasticity
(e.g., drought-resistant eggs, cold-acclimated adults exploiting various breeding sites, and 5–17 generations per
year), allowing its fast adaptation to urban/suburban environments and colder regions. Notably, trade and travel
globalization, climate change, superior competition for food over other Aedes species, as well as the lack of
reliable surveillance and effective control tools boost its worldwide-scale invasion. Its resistance to commonly
used larvicides and adulticides is well recognized, and the development of novel control tools with proven
epidemiological impact is challenging.
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TRANSMISSION FACTS:
Ae. albopictus transmits N25 arboviruses,
including chikungunya, dengue, and Zika
viruses, and ﬁlarial worms such as
Diroﬁlaria spp. It is susceptible to infection
by a few Plasmodium species
(Plasmodium gallinaceum and to a lesser
extent Plasmodium relictum).
Intense day-biting activity, mainly outdoors.
A wide host range, from main host
mammals to birds, reptiles, and
amphibians, representing a bridge vector
of zoonotic pathogens to humans.
Some Wolbachia endosymbionts may
induce cytoplasmic incompatibility and
reduce arbovirus transmission.
CONTROL FACTS:
Conventional control is mainly based on
temephos and Bacillus thuringiensis
subsp. israelensis (Bti) larvicides. Other
biocontrol tools include entomopathogenic
fungi and larvivorous natural enemies
(e.g., copepods).
If larvicidal control fails, or in emergency
situations, space spraying with pyrethroids
or organophosphates can be used
against adults.
The use of synthetic insecticides is
hampered by the quick resistance
development in exposed populations.
Removing urban breeding sites is
crucial; promising results were obtained
with toxic sugar baits.
Insect repellents and insecticide-treated
materials help to reduce vector-biting
activity on humans and pets.
Control approaches based on the sterile
insect technique (SIT) and the incompatible
insect technique (IIT)-SIT achieved
positive results.
TAXONOMY AND CLASSIFICATION:
PHYLUM: Arthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Diptera
FAMILY: Culicidae
GENUS: Aedes
SPECIES: Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus
(Skuse 1894)
*Correspondence:
giovanni.benelli@unipi.it (G. Benelli).
942 Trends in Parasitology, November 2020, Vol. 36, No. 11 © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2020.01.001
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Dr D. Romano for his kind support in preparation of the second ﬁgure.
Resources
www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/disease-vectors/facts/mosquito-factsheets/aedes-albopictus
www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/94897
www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/proﬁle/asian-tiger-mosquito
www.who.int/news-room/detail/14-11-2019-mosquito-sterilization-offers-new-opportunity-to-control-chikungunya-dengue-and-zika
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