FAQs Archive - Page 2 of 3

Q: I have seen a mosquito and I suspect that it is a tiger mosquito, but how can I be sure?

The tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito are both small, but the tiger mosquito is black and the yellow fever mosquito is dark brown. This difference in color is difficult for non-experts to perceive. A better way to tell the difference is to check the lines on the thorax: the yellow fever mosquito has white lines on the thorax in the shape of a lyre, but the tiger mosqutio has only one white line. It is quite normal to be mistaken or unsure when identifying the mosquitos. A team of experts will validate the information contained in the photo and will classify the photo adding any additional comments if necessary. Also, other users can also provide their opinions via the collective validation platform.

Q: Who are the tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito?

The tiger mosquito ( Aedes albopictus ) and the yellow fever mosquito ( Aedes aegypti ) are two mosquitos from the genera Aedes . Both have adapted to urban environments and they breed in different kinds of small containers with stagnant water such as fountains, pots, and tires. For these reasons and for brevity we refer to them using the term "ubran Aedes ."

Q: Can I send photos to Mosquito Alert by email or by social media?

In order for your data to be useful to our project, they can only be sent via the Mosquito Alert app . This way, the information that you send is incorporated into the project database and map and the experts will be able to validate it. However, we do encourage you to use social media promote the project and encourage more people to participate.

Q: Is there a version of the app for iOS or Windows phone?

Currently, the app is available for Android and iOS. For the time being, the app is not available for windows phone.

Q: What can I do if I don't have a mobile device such as a smartphone?

Ask a friend or family member if you can send the data with their device.

Q: I am fairly sure that I saw an urban Aedes but I don't have a photo. Can I send the sighting anyway?

Yes. In this case, it will not be possible to validate the observation with image analysis, but we also use other techniques that could give high value to your sighting.

Q: I squashed the mosquito. Can I still send the photo?

Yes. Expert validation may be more difficult, but any photo you may have taken of the tiger mosquito or yellow fever mosquito is valid and could be useful to scientists.

Q: Trapping a mosquito a taking a good photo of it with a mobile phone is difficult. Are there any tricks?

It is actually fairly easy to trap a mosquito resting on a wall or other surface if you use a cup or jar to trap it and pass a sheet of paper underneath so that it doesn't escape. If you put the jar with the mosquito in the freezer for a few hours you will be able to take a good photo without having to immobilize it first (possibly resulting in squashing it). You can also use insecticide, but this should be used with caution and moderation. When taking pictures of adult urban Aedes , it is important to make sure that the white lines on the head and thorax are clearly seen. Take the mosquito by the legs, focus the camera, and take pictures of the head and thorax. If possible attach 1 or 2 more photos of the abdomen and legs. For breeding sites attach 2 photos: one to help situate the breeding site, and another showing the stagnant water with larvae and/or pupae.

Q: Should I send a photo every time I see a mosquito or is one time enough?

It is obviously impractical to record observations of all the urban Aedes we find. The main goals of Mosquito Alert are to understand the current distributions of the species and discover the new areas where they appear. Therefore, if you don't want to send all of your sightings, we suggest that a pair of sighting reports within a week for the same location is sufficient. If you see them repeatedly in the same place over a much longer period of time, a couple of reports per month is sufficient. That said, in an ideal world it would be useful to have photos of all of the urban Aedes you see because this can help us study their population densities and phenology . This kind of data could also be very helpful when managing possible cases of arbovirus es .

Q: What happens when sightings from new areas are registered?

Citizen observations of tiger mosquitos in new areas has occurred a number of times. In such cases, we believe that it is necessary that a team of expert entomologists inspect the area and confirm the detection. Citizen sightings are a big help because detecting these insects at the country scale is like finding a needle in a haystack. If these sightings are confirmed in the field using scientific and technical standardized protocols and methods, the public administrations and authorities responsible for follow-up actions will be informed. Also, in some cases a scientific publication helps spread knowledge of the new discovery, as done in the cases of the new detections in Andalusia and Aragon (publication pending).

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Mosquito Alert coordinators