The Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District has identified invasive Aedes mosquitoes in two new locations in Palmdale One site near 30th Street East and Avenue R and one site near 35th Street East and Avenue R.
The District has not detected this invasive mosquito in these locations prior to this identification. District entomologist, Karen Mellor, identified these samples as Aedes aegypti, also known as the Yellow Fever mosquito.
Mellor states, “This type of mosquito was first discovered in the Antelope Valley in October of 2018. We have since detected it several more times during the 2019 season, and again this year. Some detections were in the same areas as previous years, but we have also identified them in several new areas of town during the 2020 season.”
Aedes aegypti is a small black and white mosquito that is closely associated with human dwellings. Unlike the native Culex mosquitoes that generally bite during dusk and dawn, Aedes mosquitoes will actively pursue people, throughout the entire day and into the evening.
