Aedes aegypti
Species of mosquito
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Key Takeaways
- Aedes aegypti ( ; US: ; from Ancient Greek αηδής ( aēdḗs ) ' unpleasant ' and Latin aegyptī ' Egyptian ' ) – sometimes called the Egyptian mosquito , dengue mosquito , or yellow fever mosquito – is a mosquito that spreads diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya.
- The mosquito is native to north Africa, but is now a common invasive species that has spread to tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions throughout the world.
- Females are larger than males.
- Aedes aegypti can be confused with Aedes albopictus without a magnifying glass: the latter have a white stripe on the top of their scutum.
Aedes aegypti (; US: ; from Ancient Greek αηδής (aēdḗs) 'unpleasant' and Latin aegyptī 'Egyptian') – sometimes called the Egyptian mosquito, dengue mosquito, or yellow fever mosquito – is a mosquito that spreads diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of its thorax. The mosquito is native to north Africa, but is now a common invasive species that has spread to tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions throughout the world.
Biology
Aedes aegypti is a 4-to-7-millimetre-long (5⁄32 to 35⁄128 in), dark mosquito which can be recognized by white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of its thorax. Females are larger than males. Microscopically females possess small palps tipped with silver or white scales, and their antennae have sparse short hairs, whereas those of males are feathery. Aedes aegypti can be confused with Aedes albopictus without a magnifying glass: the latter have a white stripe on the top of their scutum.
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