DOMESTIC CONTAINER-MOSQUITO
Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse)
[Diptera: Culicidae]
Article by Bruce Gow
Adult: Domestic container-mosquitoes are 3-7 mm long. The body is elongate and colours range from silver-white to golden-yellow.
Head: The head is small and rounded. The proboscis is black with a pale band. Antennae are long and filiform in the females and plumose in males. Eyes are large and greater than half the size of the head.
Thorax: All legs are similar with white bands. The forewing is long and covered in dark scales. Hindwings are modified into halteres (small knobs at the base of the forewing). Halteres are pale brown.
Abdomen: Cerci are inconspicuous.
Reproduction & Life-cycle:Adult females lay eggs individually in moist places near water or at the waterline. Eggs are resistant to desiccation and hatch when immersed in water. Larvae are small and worm-like with hairs and bristles around mouthparts and abdomen. The larvae breath air through siphons on the tip of the abdomen. Typically located at 45° angle to the surface of the water. Mature larvae pupate in water. Domestic container-mosquito breeds in natural habitats including tree holes or rock pools with decomposing vegetation.
Distribution:The species has shifted to urban environments and breeds in roof gutters, plastic containers, car tyres and discarded cans.
Pest Status:Aedes notoscriptus is a persistent, but usually minor, domestic pest in many places. Females feed on humans, mammals and birds. Bites occur during the day and at night, but appear near sunset/dusk. Experimentally shown to be a poor vector of Yellow Fever and Dengue, but a good vector of dog heartworm. Domestic container-mosquito will support some strains of filariasis worm (Wucheria bancrofti) but not others.
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