The Escambia County Mosquito Control Division has identified a new species of mosquito within the county called Aedes japonicus, or Asian bush mosquito.
The Asian bush mosquito can also be found in Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa, Bay and Leon Counties, and with the migration into Escambia, it brings the known list of mosquito species in our county to 73.
Mosquito Control Technician Kimberly Betts identified the new species from a CDC light trap set in Cantonment near the Paper Mill property. Betts realized the mosquito was not an Asian tiger mosquito, one of the local prominent container breeding mosquitoes, because the markings and colors were different. Two samples of the newly found mosquito were sent to a lab in Vero Beach, Florida and were officially verified as a new species within the county.
The Asian tiger and Asian bush mosquitoes both breed in natural and artificial water containers, including rock pools, bird baths, pet bowls and flower containers. Like the Asian tiger mosquito, the Asian bush mosquito is an aggressive daytime-biting mosquito, capable of transmitting several diseases to animals and people.
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