The key difference between Aedes aegypti and albopictus is that Aedes aegypti mosquitos have a pair of longitudinal white stripes and a white lyre-shaped marking on the thorax while Aedes. albopictus mosquitoes have white scales on the thorax, forming a median longitudinal line.
Mosquitoes are insects of the family Culicidae. Adult females of most mosquitoes feed on blood in order to produce eggs. Mosquitoes are well-known vectors that transmit parasitic and viral diseases to humans. Aedes is a genus of mosquitoes that have the distinctive feature of black and white banding pattern on their legs and the body. Aedes mosquitoes are active and bite during the daytime, unlike other mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus are two species that transmit a range of viral diseases, including yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, zika virus, etc. A. aegypti and A. albopictus are small black mosquitoes that resemble each other to the unaided eye.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Aedes Aegypti
3. What is Aedes Albopictus
4. Similarities – Aedes Aegypti and Albopictus
5. Aedes Aegypti vs Albopictus in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Aedes Aegypti vs Albopictus
What is Aedes Aegypti?
Aedes aegypti is a small black coloured mosquito that primarily acts as the vector for yellow fever. It also acts as a vector for several other viral diseases, including chikungunya and dengue fever. A. aegypti is also known as the yellow fever mosquito. A. aegypti primarily bites people. But it also bites other mammals, including dogs and other domestic animals. It bites during the daytime. They are most active two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. It prefers to stay near people; even without being noticed, this mosquito bites people from behind. The larvae of A. albopictus out-compete for foods with A. aegypti larvae. As a result, A. aegypti population and distribution have been reduced in Florida and Texas.
Figure 01: Aedes aegypti
To the unaided eye, A. aegypti resembles A. albopictus. But they have few structural differences. A. aegypti thorax has a pair of longitudinal white stripes and a white lyre-shaped marking. A. aegypti also has a clypeus with white scale patches, while A. albopictus lacks white scales on clypeus.
What is Aedes Albopictus?
A. albopictus is a mosquito that acts as the main dengue vector. It also acts as a vector for many other viruses, including chikungunya fever and West Nile virus. It is a potential vector of the Zika virus as well. It shows an aggressive daytime human biting behavior. The arrival of A. albopictus reduced the abundance and distribution of A. aegypti. A. albopictus has white bands on its legs and body. This stripped appearance resembles a tiger. Hence, it’s also known by the name Asian tiger mosquito. This mosquito is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia.
Figure 02: A. albopictus
This mosquito breeds in stagnant water, especially in tires and other containers. It rests in shady areas in shrubs near the ground. It is a daytime feeder. It feeds on humans and domestic and wild animals. The control of A. albopictus mainly depends on destroying the places where they lay eggs. Therefore, it is necessary to remove any standing water or stagnant water containers.
What are the Similarities Between Aedes Aegypti and Albopictus?
- Both aegypti and A. albopictus are mosquitoes, and they are the main dengue vectors.
- They are small, black mosquitoes with white stripes on their body and their legs.
- They resemble each other to the naked eye.
- Both both don’t fly long distances.
- They bite humans and animals during the daytime.
- Adult female mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water.
- They transmit viral diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever.
- Removal of stagnant water in containers is the most effective way of controlling these mosquitoes.
- Moreover, mosquito biting can be avoided by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes, applying mosquito repellents, and using mosquito netting.
What is the Difference Between Aedes Aegypti and Albopictus?
A. aegypti is the primary vector of yellow fever and has a pair of longitudinal white stripes and a white lyre-shaped marking on the thorax, while A, albopictus is a vector of several viral diseases including dengue, yellow fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya, and it has white scales on thorax forming a median longitudinal line. Thus, this is the key difference between Aedes aegypti and albopictus. Furthermore, A. agypti has strong black hooks on the side of the thorax. In contrast, A. albopictus has small or no hooks on the side of thorax.
The below infographic presents the differences between Aedes aegypti and albopictus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Aedes Aegypti vs Albopictus
A. aegypti and A. albopictus are two small black colour mosquitoes that have white and black stripes on their bodies and legs. They transmit several viral diseases to humans. Both mosquitoes resemble each other by their appearance. However, they have structural differences in their white stripes on the thorax. A. aegypti has a pair of longitudinal white stripes and a white lyre-shaped marking on the thorax. A. albopictus has white scales on the thorax, forming a median longitudinal line. Moreover, the clypeus of A. aegypti has white scale patches, while A. albopictus lacks white scales in clypeus. So, this summarizes the difference between Aedes aegypti and albopictus.
Reference:
1. “Yellow Fever Mosquito – Aedes Aegypti (Linnaeus).” IFAS, University of Florida.
2. Benedict, Mark Q, et al. “Spread of the Tiger: Global Risk of Invasion by the Mosquito Aedes Albopictus.” Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2007.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Aedes aegypti feeding” By Muhammad Mahdi Karim – Own work (GFDL 1.2) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “CDC-Gathany-Aedes-albopictus-1” By James Gathany, CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Public Health Image Library (PHIL) (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia