Aedes
Aedes | |
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Aedes aegypti | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Family: | Culicidae |
Tribe: | Aedini |
Genus: | Aedes Meigen, 1818 |
Type species | |
Aedes cinereus Meigen, 1818
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Species | |
See List of Aedes species |
Aedes is a genus of mosquitoes originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but now found on all continents except Antarctica. Some species have been spread by human activity: Aedes albopictus, a particularly invasive species, was recently spread to the New World, including the United States, by the used-tire trade.
First described and named by German entomologist Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1818, the generic name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀηδής, aēdēs, meaning "unpleasant" or "odious". The type species for Aedes is Aedes cinereus.[2]
Some species of this genus transmit serious diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever, the Zika virus,[3] and chikungunya. In Polynesia, the species Aedes polynesiensis is responsible for the transmission of human lymphatic filariasis.
Aedes can be detected and monitored by ovitraps.
The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) genome was sequenced by the Broad Institute and the Institute for Genomic Research. The initial assembly was released in August 2005; a draft sequence of the genome and preliminary analysis was published in June 2007.[4] The annotated genome is available at VectorBase.[5] An updated and improved version of the Aedes aegypti genome was released in 2018.[6]
Characteristics
Aedes mosquitoes are visually distinctive because they have noticeable black and white markings on their bodies and legs. Unlike most other mosquitoes, they are active and bite only during the daytime. The peak biting periods are early in the morning and in the evening before dusk.[7]
Role in disease
Members of the genus Aedes are known vectors for numerous viral infections. The two most prominent species that transmit viruses are A. aegypti and A. albopictus, which transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile fever, chikungunya, eastern equine encephalitis, and Zika virus,[8] along with many other, less notable diseases. Infections with these viruses are typically accompanied by a fever, and in some cases, encephalitis, which can lead to death. A vaccine to provide protection from yellow fever exists, and measures to prevent mosquito bites include insecticides such as DDT, mosquito traps, insect repellents, and mosquito nets.
Systematics and phylogeny
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Parasite130032_Stegomyia_pia_-fig2_Part.jpg/100px-Parasite130032_Stegomyia_pia_-fig2_Part.jpg)
The genus was named by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1818. The generic name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀηδής, aēdēs, meaning "unpleasant"[10] or "odious".
As historically defined, the genus contains over 700 species (see the list of Aedes species). The genus has been divided into several subgenera (Aedes, Diceromyia, Finlaya, Stegomyia, etc.), most of which have been recently treated by some authorities as full genera.[11] The classification was revised in 2009.[12]
References
- ^ "WHO | The mosquito". WHO.
- ^ "Aedes". Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2016-02-04..
- ^ "CDC Transmission of Zika virus". Archived from the original on 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
- ^ Nene V, Wortman JR, Lawson D, Haas B, Kodira C, Tu ZJ, et al. (June 2007). "Genome sequence of Aedes aegypti, a major arbovirus vector". Science. 316 (5832): 1718–23. Bibcode:2007Sci...316.1718N. doi:10.1126/science.1138878. PMC 2868357. PMID 17510324.
- ^ "Aedes aegypti". VectorBase. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ Matthews BJ, Dudchenko O, Kingan SB, Koren S, Antoshechkin I, Crawford JE, et al. (November 2018). "Improved reference genome of Aedes aegypti informs arbovirus vector control". Nature. 563 (7732): 501–507. Bibcode:2018Natur.563..501M. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0692-z. PMC 6421076. PMID 30429615.
- ^ "WHO | Dengue/Severe dengue frequently asked questions". WHO.
- ^ "PAHO Statement on Zika Virus Transmission and Prevention". Pan American Health Organization. 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ Le Goff G, Brengues C, Robert V (2013). "Stegomyia mosquitoes in Mayotte, taxonomic study and description of Stegomyia pia n. sp". Parasite. 20: 31. doi:10.1051/parasite/2013030. PMC 3770211. PMID 24025625.
- ^ Powell, Jeffrey R.; Tabachnick, Walter J. (2013). "History of domestication and spread of Aedes aegypti - A Review". Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 108: 11–17. doi:10.1590/0074-0276130395. PMC 4109175. PMID 24473798.
- ^ Reinert JF, Harbach RE, Kitching IJ (2004). "Phylogeny and classification of Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae), based on morphological characters of all life stages" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 142 (3): 289–368. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00144.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-13.
- ^ Reinert JF, Harbach RE, Kitching IJ (2009). "Phylogeny and classification of tribe Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae)" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 157 (4): 700–794. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00570.x.
External links
- Singapore Government dengue site that describes the mosquito
- "Aedes". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 7158.