Aedes Mosquito: Harbinger of Dread

Abstract

Mosquitoes (Insecta: Diptera) are well known vector for many bacterial, viral and protozoan diseases. The chief culprits belong to mainly three genuses viz. Culex, Anopheles, Aedes. The morphology of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito is unique as they have pattern of light and dark bands on their leg and light and dark scales are found on thorax and abdomen. The females are distinguished by the shape of abdomen which is usually pointed at the tip and their maxillary palps are shorter than their proboscis. It is a holometabolous insect having all the four life stages of complete metamorphosis viz. egg, larvae, pupa and adult. There are about 950 species of Aedes found throughout the world. Aedes females are vector for transmitting the deadly diseases like Dengue, Yellow fever, Chikungunia and Zika virus. According to World Health Organization (W.H.O) about 50-100 million of dengue cases are reported every year.