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Evidence of the mosquito Aedes koreicus in Hesse indicates propagation of the species
2 July 2019
Stinging immigrants: After the Asian tiger mosquito and the Asian bush mosquito, a third exotic mosquito species spreads in Germany. Findings from four specimens together with eggs and larvae in Hesse suggest this. It is the native of Asia mosquito Aedes koreicus, which can transmit disease-causing viruses like the other Aedes species. Researchers suspect that the new finds are harbingers of a nationwide spread.
With the milder climate, new species of mosquitoes also come to Germany - species that were originally native only in warmer climes such as the Mediterranean or Asia. Several years ago, researchers detected the Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus) in Germany. In 2015, finds from eggs and pupae of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) proved that this mosquito, originally from the tropics, can now overwinter and has established itself here.
The dubious thing about it: Just the mosquitoes of the Aedes genus are common vectors of pathogenic viruses, including the West Nile virus, the Zika virus , the Chikungunya virus or the dengue virus .
First Bavaria, now Hesse
Now there are signs that a third Aedes mosquito has immigrated to Germany. Sven Klimpel from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt have identified four specimens of the species Aedes koreicus in a mosquito monitoring in Hesse. This mosquito species originates from East Asia and is actually at home in Korea, Japan, China and parts of Russia.
After only a single find at Augsburg in 2015, this is the first evidence that this mosquito species could have spread further in Germany meanwhile. "In addition, in May and July 2018, we were able to detect larvae and pupae of this mosquito species again in the same place. It is therefore probable that an entire population has wintered in Hesse and that mosquito is slowly starting to spread in Germany, "explains Klimpel.
2 July 2019
Stinging immigrants: After the Asian tiger mosquito and the Asian bush mosquito, a third exotic mosquito species spreads in Germany. Findings from four specimens together with eggs and larvae in Hesse suggest this. It is the native of Asia mosquito Aedes koreicus, which can transmit disease-causing viruses like the other Aedes species. Researchers suspect that the new finds are harbingers of a nationwide spread.
With the milder climate, new species of mosquitoes also come to Germany - species that were originally native only in warmer climes such as the Mediterranean or Asia. Several years ago, researchers detected the Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus) in Germany. In 2015, finds from eggs and pupae of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) proved that this mosquito, originally from the tropics, can now overwinter and has established itself here.
The dubious thing about it: Just the mosquitoes of the Aedes genus are common vectors of pathogenic viruses, including the West Nile virus, the Zika virus , the Chikungunya virus or the dengue virus .
First Bavaria, now Hesse
Now there are signs that a third Aedes mosquito has immigrated to Germany. Sven Klimpel from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt have identified four specimens of the species Aedes koreicus in a mosquito monitoring in Hesse. This mosquito species originates from East Asia and is actually at home in Korea, Japan, China and parts of Russia.
After only a single find at Augsburg in 2015, this is the first evidence that this mosquito species could have spread further in Germany meanwhile. "In addition, in May and July 2018, we were able to detect larvae and pupae of this mosquito species again in the same place. It is therefore probable that an entire population has wintered in Hesse and that mosquito is slowly starting to spread in Germany, "explains Klimpel.