Establecimiento y mantenimiento de una colonia autóctona española de Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse, 1894, (Diptera, Culicidae) en laboratorio

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus is an invasive mosquito from the Southeast Asia wich has spread rapidly across the five continents in the past three decades. In Spain it was discovered in 2004, making the fight against this insect a necessity motivated not only by the voracity of its bites, but also for its important role as a vector, particularly in the transmission of parasites and arboviruses. A thorough knowledge of the species is vital to keep it under control, so the establishment of an autochtonous colony of mosquitoes is essential to achieve this goal. The Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of the University of Zaragoza has managed to establish and maintain a colony of Ae. albopictus for 15 generations within a year, a fact which shows important information about their biology in standard conditions.We discuss below the different aspects of establishment and laboratory breeding of this culicid. Key words: Aedes albopictus, vector, colony of mosquitoes, maintenance, Spain