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takyon writes:

Mosquito species native to South America and the Caribbean have been discovered in South Florida:

South Florida's Zika-spreading, dengue-transmitting mosquito population just got a little more crowded. Two new tropical mosquitoes capable of carrying viruses dangerous to humans have been discovered in Homestead and Florida City by University of Florida researchers. The mosquitoes — native to Central and South America and the Greater Antilles — likely arrived on plants, spread across canals, ditches and ponds in South Florida and will almost surely rise in numbers. Although they join a growing number of exotic mosquitoes invading the state, researchers were still surprised to find the mosquitoes so far north of their native ranges.

[...] The latest invaders, Aedeomyia squamipennis and Culex panocossa, also both carry viruses and can easily spread in populated areas. They lay their eggs on water lettuce, an aggressive aquatic plant that state biologists have dubbed one of the worst invasive weeds. The plants prefer dirty urban water and can be found in thick floating mats in canals and drainage ponds all around the state. But the mosquitoes' similarities end there, Burkett-Cadena said.

The Aedeomyia mosquito mainly feeds on birds, which spread viruses like West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis. If enough birds are infected, the viruses can be passed along to humans and other mammals, Burkett-Cadena said. In its native range, the Aedeomyia has transmitted bird malarias like the kind that have wiped out many of the songbirds in Hawaii. The Culex panocossa, which belongs to the same family of mosquitoes found naturally in Florida, may pose a more urgent threat: it is a confirmed vector for Venezuelan equine encephalitis, which can be lethal to children or the elderly. That also means the mosquito likely carries the local Everglades virus, a member of the same set of diseases and commonly found in native culex mosquitoes. Because those native mosquitoes don't do well outside the Everglades and undisturbed wetlands, the virus so far has not been widespread. But Burkett-Cadena worries more cases will now turn up if the mosquito's tropical cousin begins transmitting it.

Also at SFGate (AP).

Culex (Melanoconion) panocossa from peninsular Florida, USA (DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.12.024) (DX)

Another article is/will be available in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Original Submission