FAQ
MOSQUITOES
How many species of mosquitoes are there in our country?
What are the most common mosquitoes in Catalonia?
Are other mosquitoes the same as the tiger mosquito?
What is the relationship between mosquitoes and water?
MOSQUITOES AND DISEASES
Can a mosquito transmit a disease to me in Catalonia?
What are the diseases that mosquitoes can transmit in Catalonia?
DISTRIBUTION AND BIOLOGY
Where do we find the common mosquito?
Where do we find marsh mosquitoes?
What is the original larval habitat of the tiger mosquito?
How does the tiger mosquito move between countries and between towns?
When was the tiger mosquito first found in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula?
In which places in Europe, Spain and Catalonia is the tiger mosquito known to be present?
OTHER BITING INSECTS
What other insects might have bitten me?
How can I distinguish the bites?
How many species of mosquitoes are there in our country?
Mosquito Taxonomy InventoryExactly 56 true mosquitoes (biting Diptera belonging to the Culicidae family),
have been cited in Spain. There are more than 3,700 of them https://mosquito-taxonomic-inventory, identified worlwide.
What are the most common mosquitoes in Catalonia?
The common mosquito Culex pipiens, the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, the non biting humans mosquito Culiseta longiareolata, the marshes mosquitoes such as Aedes caspius or Aedes vexans and the rice field mosquito, Anopheles atroparvus.
Why do mosquitoes bite?
Because the females need the blood to develop each clutch of eggs.
Do both sexes bite?
Culex male. courtesy A. LindströmNo, only females bite as they have to develop
the eggs. The males, like the one in the photo, do not have a biting proboscis.
What is the tiger mosquito?
It is a species of mosquito (that is, a dipteran of the Culicidae family), originating in Asia that is named Aedes albopictus.
Are other mosquitoes the same as the tiger mosquito?
Yes, they are similar, they share basic features, although each species lives in different ways, in different habitats and often have quite characteristic aspects.
What is the relationship between mosquitoes and water?
All true mosquitoes must first pass through a larval stage, which is aquatic. Therefore, if there is no water, there are no larvae and no adult mosquitoes.
Can a mosquito transmit a disease to me in Catalonia?
In certain tropical countries they can transmit dengue or yellow fever, for example. In Europe this is unlikely but has already happened several times. The mosquito does not generate the diseases but transmits them from person to person, and under very specific conditions. In Catalonia there have been autochtonous cases of dengue due to travelers who have been infected in countries where the disease is present and who, on returning, have caused subsequent autochtonous cases. There have also been autochtonous cases of West Nile virus transmitted by the common mosquito.
What are the diseases that mosquitoes can transmit in Catalonia?
Those that have mosquito species that are susceptible to transmitting the pathogen. As for the common mosquito Culex pipiens, the West Nile virus (WNV) which is native to Europe. Regarding the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, dengue, chikungunya oR Zika once they reach us by infected travelers in other countries.
The Catalan Generalitat has launched the Protocol per a la vigilància i el control de les arbovirosis transmeses per mosquits a Catalunya, and the Protocol per a la vigilància i el control de la febre del virus del Nil occidental which deals specifically with the transmission of these viruses.
You can see an excellent ECDC webpage on these diseases.
Where do we find the common mosquito?
Te common mosquito or Culex pipiens will be found practically everywhere, as we find its larvae in water from marshes and ditches to all kinds of containers including street drains.
Where do we find marsh mosquitoes?
Marshes mosquito areas. MCS filesWe will find these mosquitoes like Aedes caspius in flooded 
areas given that their larvae live in recently flooded natural or rural areas. We find them in wetlands, flooded meadows, flooded ponds or drainage ditches.
How big are mosquitoes?
They do not exceed 1.5 cm. We will never find a "huge" mosquito like 5 cm long. In our country the largest species does not bite humans, it is the Culiseta longiareolata.
What is the original larval habitat of the tiger mosquito?
Initially, their habitat was the tree holes filled with water, in forest aeras. Unfortunately, it now breeds in artificial habitats such as small containers, or tires left out in the open.
How does the tiger mosquito move between countries and between towns?
It is shown that the worldwide dispersion of the tiger mosquito has taken place inside used tire covers, stacked on cargo ships, which contain the eggs and introduce them into the countries of arrival of the goods. On a more local scale, he travels by flying and also uses our vehicles.
When was the mosquito tiger first found in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula?
It was discovered by Dr. Carles Aranda, head of the SCM, on August 9, 2004, in Sant Cugat del Vallès, thanks to an Agreement signed with the Diputació of Barcelona. You have the article about it here.
In which places in Europe, Spain and Catalonia is the tiger mosquito known to be present?
Aedes albopictus map. ECDCEvery year it spreads to more places and will probably
expand throughout the peninsula as it has happened in Italy. It is currently all over the Mediterranean and Andalusian coast and in some other separate areas. Check out this map:
OTHER BITING INSECTS
What other insects might have bitten me?
Not all bites are caused by mosquitoes. You may have been stung by biting fleas, flebotomines, black flies, biting midges and other non-flying ones such as fleas, bedbugs, lice or ticks (these are arachnids). Also a many poisonous or irritating arthropods such as wasps, bees or spiders.
How can I distinguish the bites?
There is no way to know what organism has bitten you if you don't see it at the time of the bite and can catch it. Because of the bite, place, reaction or time of day, you can't be sure which insect it was.
