Aedes provocans

Aedes provocans
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Culicidae
Genus:	Aedes
Subgenus:	Rusticoidus
Species:	A. provocans
Binomial name
Aedes provocans (Walker, 1848)

Aedes provocans, or woodland mosquito, is a species of mosquito belonging to the genus Aedes . It is primarily found in North America, particularly in temperate regions.

Distribution

A. provocans is commonly found in woodland areas, hence its common name. It is native to North America and has been documented in various regions, including Wisconsin. ^[1]

Life cycle and behavior

Like other Aedes species, A. provocans goes through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The females lay their eggs in areas prone to flooding, such as woodland pools or temporary water bodies. The eggs can withstand desiccation and remain viable for extended periods, allowing them to survive through adverse conditions, including cold winters.

Adult females bite animals to draw blood in order to have enough nutrients to lay eggs. Besides that, both females and males of this species are know for nectar foraging, particularly from Canada plum ( Prunus nigra ) and pin cherry ( Prunus pensylvanica ) blossoms. ^[2] This nectar feeding behavior occurs soon after emergence. Males feed on nectar before completing hypopygial rotation or swarming, while females do so before mating or seeking a blood host

Medical importance

This species is known to be a vector for West Nile virus, ^[3] which causes West Nile fever in several animals, including humans. While it may not be as significant a vector as some other mosquito species, its ability to transmit this pathogen makes it a species of interest in public health surveillance and mosquito control programs.

Aedes provocans is also known to be a vector for Jamestown Canyon virus. ^[4] This mosquito species overwinters with the virus through vertical or transovarial transmission, meaning infected females can pass the virus to their offspring. ^[5]

Control measures for A. provocans are similar to those used for other mosquito species of the Aedes genus. These may include source reduction (eliminating standing water), use of larvicides in breeding sites, and personal protection measures such as using insect repellents and wearing protective clothing.

References

1. "Mosquitoes of Wisconsin". Wisconsin Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
2. Smith, Stephen M.; Gadawski, Randy M. (July 1994). "Nectar feeding by the early‐spring mosquito Aedes provocans". Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 8 (3): 201–213. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.1994.tb00499.x. ISSN   0269-283X.
3. Wilkerson, Richard C.; Linton, Yvonne-Marie; Fonseca, Dina M.; Schultz, Ted R.; Price, Dana C.; Strickman, Daniel A. (2015-07-30). "Making Mosquito Taxonomy Useful: A Stable Classification of Tribe Aedini that Balances Utility with Current Knowledge of Evolutionary Relationships". PLOS ONE. 10 (7): e0133602. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133602 . ISSN   1932-6203.
4. Boromisa, R D; Grayson, M A (1990-09-01). "Incrimination of Aedes provocans as a vector of Jamestown Canyon virus in an enzootic focus of northeastern New York". Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 6 (3): 504–509. ISSN   1943-6270. PMID   2230781.
5. Poggi, Joseph D; Conery, Colin; Mathewson, Abigail; Bolton, Denise; Lovell, Rebecca; Harrington, Laura C; Notarangelo, Marco (2023-07-12). Andreadis, Theodore (ed.). "Jamestown Canyon virus (Bunyavirales: Peribunyaviridae) vector ecology in a focus of human transmission in New Hampshire, USA". Journal of Medical Entomology. 60 (4): 778–788. doi:10.1093/jme/tjad046. ISSN   0022-2585.