DEADLY NEW MOSQUITO

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 72, 18 December 1928, Page 10

DEADLY NEW MOSQUITO

BAD AFTER-EFFECTS OF BITE

MENACE TO AUCKLANDERS

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, December 17.

Bad news was brought to town today by Mr. David H. Graham, research officer of the Mosquito Research Committee of the Auckland Museum. He has found a deadly mosquito new to Auckland in the bush at Waipoua, and even as near the city as in the bush at Helensville. The disquieting thing about this stranger is that she —for it is the female that does the biting—is a sister of the kind that disseminates yellow fever. “In connection with my work I went u to Waipoua forest to look for new specimens,” said Mr. Graham, “and I came across one which is very much more vicious than any we have in Auckland. The unusual thing about it is that this Waipoua mosquito bites In the daytime as well as the night time. That is most unusual and it gives the unfortunate people no chance of rest from its attentions. These mosquitos come out of the bush in thousands, make for the camps of road makers and attack the men. Without exaggeration I have seen men’s arms literally black with them. I have not identified the species yet, but the mosquito b. longs to the genus aedes. I do not s" it is a new mosquito, but I do say it is new to Auckland. They breed in stagnant pools right in the heart of the forest up at Waipoua, but do not breed in water at the side of the road or in water caught in old tins as other species will do. “If this aedes becomes domesticated,” continued Mr. Graham, “it will be very bad for ns, as I am certain it is a sister of the mosquito which carries the germ of yellow fever. I saw people up north with lumps on them not as large as hen's eggs but very near it. This shows the virulence of the poison. Some of the workmen vp there have been nearly half stunned owing to the number of bites the mosquitos have inflicted. I may say I also found the same mosquito in some bush at Helensville. My job now is to find out whether the same species exists In any bush between Helensville and the city and, of course, to see how we can set about eradicating the pest.”