A Bite from the South: Germany's New Arrival, the Anopheles hyrcanus
Invertebrates originating from the southern regions detected in Germany for the first instance. - Increase in southern mosquito populations observed in Germany
Got a pesky bug bite recently in Germany? You might be sharing your space with a new midge species, the Anopheles hyrcanus. A team of scientists, including entomologist Doreen Werner at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) in Müncheberg, recently discovered this species in Brandenburg's Oder river floodplains, making it the northernmost record worldwide and the first in Germany.
It's believed this heat-loving species could be making its way northward due to climate change. Helge Kampen, a biologist from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, confirmed the discovery after genetic identification.
While this midge species can theoretically transmit malaria to humans, Kampen isn't too concerned about it being a significant threat at the moment. In fact, he suggests that its presence doesn't pose a risk for the average person.
However, it's important to note that Anopheles hyrcanus is native to southern regions, from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to Southeast Asia in the east, and has already been found in other parts of Europe, including Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
If you're worried about mosquito-borne diseases, you might be more concerned about the Asian tiger mosquito, which has been in Germany for a while and is considered a more dangerous transmitter of pathogens, according to Kampen.
The specimens of the biting midge species were discovered between August and September 2024, with 59 midges collected near Quappendorf and 3 near Zeschdorf, approximately 25 kilometers distant. A team led by biologist Werner had set up traps there, and Kampen expects more specimens to be caught if the traps are set up at the same location this year.
The finding will be published online in the journal "Parasites & Vectors". With climate change potentially leading to the spread of these species, it's essential to monitor mosquito populations to assess the risk of disease transmission and prepare for any public health concerns.
- Germany
- Biting midge
- Insect
- Kampen
- Brandenburg
- Müncheberg
- Doreen Werner
- Climate
- Greifswald
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute
- Asian tiger mosquito
- The discovery of the Anopheles hyrcanus, a biting midge species, in Germany's Brandenburg region could be linked to climate change, as this heat-loving species is believed to be moving northward due to warmer temperatures.
- In the realm of science, understanding the impact of climate change on the distribution of insects like the Anopheles hyrcanus is crucial for health-and-wellness and environmental-science, as changes in mosquito populations can influence the risk of disease transmission and public health concerns.
