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Sticker of Asian bush mosquito
Bug card No. 0163 of 4,939

Asian bush mosquito

Aedes japonicus
Eats: BloodFlies and mosquitoesForests and woods6 legs

The Asian bush mosquito is a mosquito from Japan and its neighbours that has travelled all over the world. On its back it has a shiny bronze pattern shaped like a little harp. Unlike many mosquitoes, it is busy in the daytime.

Lives in
East Asia, and now also North America, South America and Europe
Top speed
about 2 km/h (1.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Dangerous: look, do not touch
It can carry illnesses such as West Nile virus. Look, do not let it bite you, and tell a grown-up. It does not like biting people very much.
What does it eat?
Like other mosquitoes, the mums drink blood to make their eggs. The babies live in water and eat tiny bits floating in it.
For real!Photo of Asian bush mosquito
Picture by James Gathany, CDC. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Its babies grow in rock pools, tree holes, buckets and even old tyres full of rainwater.

2

It is the only mosquito whose babies are already busy in icy spring water when there is still snow around.

3

It gets through cold winters as an egg and hatches when it warms up.

4

It was first found in America in New York and New Jersey in 1998.

5

Each mum lays about a hundred eggs.

you asked

Most asked questions about Asian bush mosquito

?Where does the Asian bush mosquito come from?

From East Asia, like Japan, Korea and China. It has now spread to America and Europe.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Aedes japonicus
Named by
Theobald, 1901
Group
Flies and mosquitoes
Family
Culicidae
Classification
Insecta > Diptera > Culicidae
Lives on
Asia, North America, South America, Europe
Also known as
Asian rock pool mosquito

Where the facts come from

  1. Aedes japonicus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by James Gathany, CDC. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Flies and mosquitoes

Also at home here: Forests and woods

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