Aedes africanus | |
---|---|
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Family: | Culicidae |
Genus: | Aedes |
Subgenus: | Stegomyia |
Species: | A. africanus |
Binomial name | |
Aedes africanus (Theobald, 1901) | |
Synonyms | |
Stegomyia africanus |
Aedes africanus is a species of mosquito that is found on the continent of Africa with the exclusion of Madagascar. [1] Aedes aegypti and Aedes africanus are the two main yellow fever vector species in Zambia. [2] Aedes africanus is mainly found in tropical forests not near wetlands. [3]
This mosquito has distinct white and black stripes along its body which help differentiate the genus from others in this family. [4] Females of this species are ectoparasites and can most often be found on mammals living in the tropical forests of Africa. [4] The africanus species can be distinguished from other mosquitoes in the genus Aedes by having white scales on the maxillary palpi, scutum with a patch of large white scales, and 3 large white patches on the mid-femur. [4]
This species lays its eggs in holes in trees, cut bamboo, bamboo stumps, and tree forks. [4] [5] In laboratory settings, it was observed that the larvae hatch best at 27 °C and the quantity of water was not a factor in embryonic development but was most often laid within 2 cm of the water surface. [3]
Aedes africanus adults are crepuscular feeders, meaning they feed from dusk to dawn. [6] Although this species is a vector for many diseases, because it is mainly found in forests, primates are its main source of blood meals. [6] Early studies of its populations suggest that when sampled in forested areas, it made up 95% of the caught species and only 50% in surrounding villages. [7] When populations are high enough, Toxorhynchites mosquitoes can be brought in as a biological control as they parasitize africanus larvae in the shared breeding habitat. [8]
This species of mosquito is an essential yellow fever vector in wooded habitats. [3] In addition to being a major vector of yellow fever, Aedes africanus also vectors pathogens such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. [1] [9] It is also a vector of Zika virus, the causal agent of Zika fever. [10]