bug.latResearch summary · JAMCA 2022
Aedes japonicus in Texas: the first state record
A plain-language summary of a 2022 paper documenting the Asian rock pool mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus, in Bowie County, Texas, and in eight Nebraska counties, a continuation of the species’ westward spread across North America.
Key findings: Asian rock pool mosquito reaches Texas
- First Texas record. Ae. japonicus japonicus was documented in Bowie County, TX, the species’ first record in the state.
- Eight Nebraska counties. The paper also documents the mosquito in 8 counties in Nebraska.
- Continued westward spread. The authors describe these records as part of the species’ ongoing spread west across North America.
- Where it was found in Texas. The Texas specimens came from surveillance of surplus military equipment at a Texas Army depot.
Background: how Aedes japonicus spread across North America
Aedes japonicus japonicus, often called the Asian rock pool mosquito or Asian bush mosquito, is not native to North America. According to the paper, its first North American records came in 1998, when it was collected in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
Since then it has been reported from every state that borders or lies east of the Mississippi River except Louisiana. In Canada it has been reported in Ontario and all eastern provinces. In the Pacific Northwest it has been reported in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Among midwestern states that do not border the Mississippi, only Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota had reported it in peer-reviewed journals before this study.
Against that map, new records in Nebraska and northeast Texas fill in a gap on the western edge of the species’ known range.
Why a new state record matters for mosquito control
Knowing which mosquito species live in an area is the starting point for surveillance and control. A species that turns up in a new state may need to be added to local identification keys, trap programs, and risk assessments. Records published in peer-reviewed journals give mosquito-control districts and health departments a documented baseline to compare future collections against.
The Texas detection also shows why surveillance of surplus military equipment is useful: the specimens were found during that work at an Army depot. For general guidance on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease, see the CDC mosquito resources.
Methods in brief
This is a short distribution note. It reports county-level collection records of Ae. japonicus japonicus in Nebraska and Texas and places them in the context of previously published North American records. Full collection details, including dates and identification methods, are in the published paper linked below.
Authors
William J. Sames, Jeff Hamik, James G. Mann, Joshua D. Bast, and R. Jason Pitts. Published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 38(2):92–95, June 2022.
Citation
Sames, W. J., Hamik, J., Mann, J. G., Bast, J. D., & Pitts, R. J. (2022). Aedes japonicus japonicus in Nebraska and Texas. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 38(2), 92–95. https://doi.org/10.2987/21-7048