AMES, Iowa — An invasive mosquito species is surviving the off-season in Iowa for the first time, according to researchers at Iowa State University.
Scientists found the species, Aedes albopictus, is establishing itself in Polk, Lee and Des Moines counties.
Researchers said the mosquitos are capable of transmitting diseases, but were previously only found in Iowa over the summer.
“For a long time, it was thought that these mosquitoes wouldn’t survive the winter here,” said Ryan Smith, the director of the ISU Medical Entomology Laboratory. "Our data show they’re here, and they seem to be spreading.”
The mosquitos have survived winters in regions of Illinois and Missouri.
Smith said they are distinctive in color and pattern, describing what to look out for.
"They're very dark, and they have these kind of white banded patterns on their body, and even the white racing stripe kind of along their back," he said. "They're very aggressive towards humans in those biting behaviors and have the potential to transmit disease."
Smith said the mosquitoes may have gotten into these counties by hitching a ride on debris that contained their eggs.
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