Further specimens of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) trapped in southwest Germany

Abstract

After two previous demonstrations of introductions of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, into southern Germany in 2007 and 2011, another three specimens were trapped in the city of Freiburg in the Upper Rhine Valley. The females were caught in early September 2011 (n = 2) and mid-July 2012 (n = 1). The trap was located at a railway container station where cargo is transferred to trains from trucks predominantly coming from southern Europe where A. albopictus is widely distributed. The reported findings confirm vehicle transport of A. albopictus to be an important and probably frequent mode of importation, and suggest that more regular and intense monitoring for invasive mosquito species in the Upper Rhine Valley should be undertaken in order to detect an establishment and implement adequate control measures in good time.