About Aedes geniculatus (Olivier, 1791)
Aedes geniculatus (Olivier, 1791), commonly called the tree hole mosquito, is a species closely related to the more widely known Asian tiger mosquito. It is native to Europe and North Africa. After the 2016 Zika epidemic, members of the public mistakenly reported this species to Public Health England. Members of the public were monitoring the spread of Zika-carrying mosquitoes in southern England following media coverage of the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito. While Aedes geniculatus has not been observed acting as a disease vector in wild populations, laboratory tests have confirmed it can transmit yellow fever and chikungunya. For this reason, it may also be capable of spreading the Zika virus.
