Aedes notoscriptus (m)

Description:

Mosquito with sophisticated antennae and interesting mouth parts.

Habitat:

Suburban house.

Notes:

Thanks so much to Agnes for finding this ID !! These head parts are very impressive considering the male mozzie only needs to suck plant sap and find females. It's got more gadgets on it than a BattleStar. Adult females may be confused with Oc. aegypti and Oc. mallochi because of similar scutal pattern but those species have no band on proboscis... "This species is arguably the major domestic pest species in southeastern Australia; it has been incriminated as an important vector of dog heartworm, has been shown to be able to carry Murray Valley encephalitis, and transmit Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses in laboratory studies." We have felt the effects of Ross River and Barmah virus. Very unpleasant, long lasting and annoyingly recurring - even after years.