Polynesian Tiger Mosquito vs Fig Longhorn

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Polynesian Tiger Mosquito Fig Longhorn
Scientific Name Aedes polynesiensis Pelargoderus bipunctatus
Order Diptera Coleoptera
Family Culicidae Cerambycidae
Size 3-5 mm 25-40 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions South Pacific islands, Polynesia, Melanesia East Africa, Southern Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Polynesian Tiger Mosquito

A dark mosquito with white markings found across the South Pacific islands. It is an important vector of lymphatic filariasis (Wuchereria bancrofti) and dengue in the Pacific. It breeds in natural containers like coconut shells, crab holes, and tree holes.

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Did You Know?

Biological control using the mosquito Toxorhynchites amboinensis was attempted in the Pacific, as it preys on Aedes larvae.

Fig Longhorn

A large African cerambycid with a yellowish-brown body and two conspicuous dark spots on the pronotum. It breeds in fig trees and other Moraceae in savanna woodlands. Adults are nocturnal and powerful fliers.

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Did You Know?

Large emergence holes in fig tree trunks made by this beetle are later used as nesting cavities by small birds.