Mosquitoes feeding on brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and humans in a native forest fragment in the Auckland region of New Zealand.
A study was carried out to identify the native and exotic mosquito species that feed on possums (and also humans) during daytime in a native forest fragment in the Auckland region. Twenty-two possums were handled in spring 2005, and 21 in the following summer. A total of 32 female mosquitoes were collected while handling the possums (22 mosquitoes were on humans--all introduced Aedes notoscriptus; 10 on possums--9 Ae. notoscriptus and 1 native Coquillettidia iracunda). These results support previous findings that Aedes notoscriptus may regularly take blood meals from brushtail possums in New Zealand, as happens in Australia. Significant is the record of Coquillettidia iracunda feeding on a possum, which seems to be the first record of a native mosquito feeding on these animals in New Zealand. The potential public health implications of these findings are discussed.
Derraik
José G B
JG
Ecology and Health Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington. derraik@gmail.com
Ji
Weihong
W
Slaney
David
D
D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000469:parasitology*; D007303:Insect Vectors; D009520:New Zealand; D014197:Trees / Q000469:parasitology*; D048330:Trichosurus / Q000469:parasitology*