There's a new mosquito on the Florida scene, and scientists are worried
Hey Floridians, especially those who enjoy the outdoors at dawn or dusk: meet Culex lactator.
To you, this Culex may look like every other mosquito that has annoyed you over the years. But scientists say it's a species of insect native to Central and South America, though it appears to be making a new home in the Sunshine State.
It's not yet known to what extent it might bite us and/or whether it's as much a risk to our health and to wildlife.
"If it is a bird feeder, it has a greater chance spreading some of these viruses," said Lawrence Reeves, lead author of the study and an assistant professor and mosquito biologist at the UF/IFAS research center in Vero Beach. Birds can harbor diseases such as the West Nile virus that Culex could spread by feeding off both birds and humans.
Florida's 'Jesus lizards':Get to know the brown basilisk that walks on water
Snake-pocalypse?Florida plans ban on owning pythons and other risky reptiles
Attacked a shark with a hammer:Prosecutors charge Indian Harbour Beach shark-beating suspect with two misdemeanors
Under the microscope, Reeves knows a Culex lactator when he sees it: "It just looks, like weird. It's like a face you don't quite recognize."
But Reeves and his team also used DNA analysis and other tools to not only discover they had found a new mosquito species in Florida, but to identify it for sure as the Culex lactator.
The mosquito is the latest to establish in Florida, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology by faculty at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach. And the state better look out for other new insects on the way, researchers warn, as the winds blow more here from afar and the planet warms Florida more to their liking.
The new Florida mosquito belongs in Central America and northern South America. It's a member of the Culex family of mosquitoes, which spreads diseases such as West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis. But scientists don't know yet whether the new Culex lactator will contribute to the transmission of these viruses in Florida.
Researchers at University of Florida first found the new invasive mosquito in Florida in 2018 in Miami-Dade County while hunting for other nonnative mosquitoes. Since then, it's been thriving in Miami-Dade, Collier and Lee counties.
"It could be that these mosquitoes get blown in on air currents," Reeves said. Or like other skeeters, it might have hitched a ride on a passenger jet. "It also could be that the change in climate is making Florida a little more hospitable for mosquitoes."
Scientists may not know how Culex got here, but they assume this pest will ultimately reach almost everywhere in the state, except for maybe the northernmost temperate regions.
Researchers also don't know yet the mosquitoes' potential to spread disease. But its presence here has scientists concerned because of the potential for them to transmit mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus.
"Unfortunately, I think the genie is out of the bottle in this case," Reeves said.
About 90 mosquito species live in Florida, Reeves says, and the list is growing. There are more than 3,600 types of mosquitoes worldwide, any of them can wind up in Florida.
While they are among the most studied insects, due to their role in transmitting diseases, large knowledge gaps remain, Reeves said, especially for the diverse and understudied species from the tropical forests.
“Introductions of new mosquito species like this are concerning because many of our greatest mosquito-related challenges are the result of nonnative mosquitoes," he said in a prepared statement, "and in a case like this, it’s difficult to anticipate what to expect when we know so little about a mosquito species.”
Each mosquito-borne virus is transmitted by only certain mosquito species, Reeves added.
“We need to be vigilant for introductions of new mosquito species because each introduction comes with the possibility that the introduced species will facilitate the transmission of a mosquito-transmitted disease,” he said.
Currently, Culex lactator is known to live in Collier County – south and west of Naples – Lee County, west of Fort Myers, and in the Homestead area of Miami-Dade County, though it may have also spread elsewhere in the state, said Reeves.
Reeves and his team stress it’s important to monitor for Culex lactator as it is likely to spread within the state into areas that are environmentally suitable, given Florida’s proximity to the tropics.
As many as 17 nonnative mosquito species have established in the state but new introductions are accelerating, with 11 of 17 nonnative species first reported in the past two decades, and six of these 17 detected in only the past five years, Reeves said.
“Climate change may improve the chances of tropical mosquito species becoming established once they make it to Florida if the state becomes warmer,” Reeves added. “Increasing storm frequency and intensity could also blow in more mosquitoes and other species from the Caribbean, Central America and elsewhere.”
And the state needs to keep a close eye on new arrivals, Reeves said, so officials can understand and nip any emerging health and/or ecological risks in the bud.
"We need to be really vigilant about new nonnative mosquitoes arriving in Florida," he said.
Jim Waymer is environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JWayEnviro Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: University of Florida scientists tracking a new mosquito species
