The Asian tiger mosquito in Cities

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus, Diptera, Culicidae) is a competent vector for arboviruses such as dengue virus, chikungunya virus, West Nile virus and Zika virus. The invasive species can quickly adapt to new environmental conditions and is spreading towards Central Europe.

Germany also has climatically favorable conditions for the colonization of the mosquito. The first colonizations have already taken place, e.g. in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Berlin. The disease vector is also regularly introduced into Bavaria. There is justified concern that long-term colonization will also occur in Bavaria, especially if climate change conditions are considered.

We utilize a population model for the Asian tiger mosquito to assess the impact of urban heat islands in eight Bavarian cities: Augsburg, Bayreuth, Fürth, Ingolstadt, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, and Würzburg.

The maps show the probability of Aedes albopictus settling in cities in 2050 with a changed climate (RCP scenarios).