Mozzie Monitors Reach 5000 Records!

We are excited to announce that our citizen science project, Mozzie Monitors, has reached a major milestone with 5000 records of mosquito observations! This is a great achievement for our project and shows the dedication and hard work of our observers and identifiers.

Since the project's launch, we have received over 5,000 observations of 87 different mosquito species from 1,174 observers. Our team of 300 identifiers has been crucial in verifying the species identification of these observations and ensuring that the data collected is accurate and reliable.
Recently the project has grown to include several new species such as the rarely collected Aedes pecuniosus. Another record from the 'moth sheet' which has proven to be a valuable source for collecting data on mosquito populations that are not usually captured by traditional surveillance programs. A dead ringer for Ae. purpureus because to quote Mike Muller pecuniosus was resurrected from synonymy with Aedes purpureus (Reinert 1988) so it won’t be in keys that were mostly prepared before then. The name pecuniosus is Latin for in the money or well off.

This turned out to be a Fantastic observation of the rarely collected Aedes pecuniosus by © Scott W. Gavins, (CC-BY-NC) AKA @scottwgavins at Talegalla Weir QLD 4650, Australia

This follows on from the record of Aedes shehzadae recorded by @johnlenagan back in Feb 14, 2021, Lockhart QLD which was only the second record of this species ever and greatly expanded its range. The Mozzie Monitors project provides a platform for citizen scientists to contribute to valuable research on mosquito populations and their impact on public health.

Aedes shehzadae recorded by @johnlenagan Feb 14, 2021 · 10:43 PM Lockhart QLD

This data is valuable for understanding mosquito populations and their impact on public health, as well as informing mosquito control strategies. With the help of our community of observers and identifiers, we can continue to gather important data that will aid in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the project so far, and encourage those who have not yet participated to get involved. Anyone can contribute to the project by downloading the iNaturalist app and submitting their mosquito observations.
Citizen science projects have had succeeded in other regions such as recently in Cyprus 'First record of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus in Cyprus based on information collected by citizen scientists'
A great example of how citizen science can be leveraged to enhance biosecurity monitoring

Image of a Aedes albopictus recorded by martin_galli in Pérols, France 'In France, a few individuals had already been found in homes and greenhouses last month but this one was found outside ; one of the first female adults of the year.'

Let's continue to work together to make a difference in our communities and protect ourselves from mosquito-borne diseases.

Posted on May 6, 2023 12:05 AM by saltmarshsteve