Also known as the Forest Mosquito, this insect has a unique lifestyle which makes it very interesting!
The Asian Tiger Mosquito is a unique variety of mosquito that originated from Asia, but now lives around the world. It's Ectothermic, or cold-blooded. The mosquito's lifespan is quite interesting: the females live 3-4 times longer than the males!
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These critters are almost everywhere now: North America, South America, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia! They prefer wet climates, and recent studies indicate they're more likely to breed near flowers. They do, of course, need to live near other animals so they can get their food, but outside of that, they're not picky!
Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, like any other animal, need food to
survive. In this case, the females and males have a different
diet. The males tend to suck on nectar and plants, while the
females suck blood from other animals. Unfortunately, this can
transmit some diseases.
These mosquitos are quite small, coming in at around 3-10mm by 6-8 mm. You'll know you've got a tiger mosquito if you see white stripes down it's body.
Asian Tiger Mosquitoes are similar to other insects: they
breathe in oxygen by essentially taking it in through the exterior
of their body. They have a very simple circulatory system, with a
long narrow tube as their heart. They've also got wings to move
around, along with legs.
Reproduction is a bit tricky here: it's internal sexual reproduction with eggs, but slightly different. They actually reproduce while in flight. Female will lay the eggs in water, and the eggs will hatch in 1-3 days. The males will reproduce about halfway through their lifespan, a few days before death. The female will then take care of the young until it's pupae stage, where it is able to fly.
U
nfortunately, mosquitoes can transmit deadly pathogens. This is
important for the role of the pathogens in the ecosystem, but bad
for those affected by them. They're also an invasive species,
which spread all around the world, taking rides on boats and
airplains. We've tried to kill some of them off, but they
reproduce so quickly it's just not feasible. There's almost
nothing we can do to stop them, so the strategy has adapted to
preventing unfortunate deaths from the pathogens.
The Asian Tiger Mosquito's scientific name is Aedes albopictus, abbreviated as Ae. albopictus. The biggest adaptation they have is the ability to drink most types of mammal blood, which is unique to them.