Mosquitoes
While there is relatively low risk for mosquito-borne illness in the UK, there are increasing numbers of mosquito species being recorded and more attention is being paid to mosquito-borne disease risk. This becomes especially relevant as a changing climate and global travel patterns increase the change of introduction of new pathogens to the UK.
Fun Fact!
Female mosquitoes bite when they need a blood meal to develop eggs. The rest of time females (and all male mosquitos) eat nectar, meaning they actually are important accidental pollinators! Additionally, mosquitos play a role in the food web: bats, birds, turtles, and other insects like dragonflies rely on them for food. So, while we may not like them very much, mosquitos are a normal part of a healthy ecosystem!
UK Context
Current mosquito-borne disease risk in the UK is low for most people. We focus on practical awareness, credible data and surveillance, and early warning signs of increasing risk.
View Mosquito Records on the Map
Use the Vector Maps page and switch to the Mosquitoes tab to explore post-2000 UK records from GBIF.
Open vector maps ->Mosquito Species in This Site
These species were selected for education and increasing understanding of mosquito ecology in the UK.
Culex pipiens s.l.
Common House Mosquito Complex
A species complex common in UK urban and peri-urban habitats.
Culex modestus
Rice Field Mosquito
A wetland-associated species that is important in European West Nile virus ecology and increasingly relevant to UK surveillance.
Aedes albopictus
Asian Tiger Mosquito
An invasive species monitored closely in the UK due to its role in global dengue transmission.
Aedes vexans
Floodwater Mosquito
A native floodwater mosquito that matters for West Nile surveillance after the first UK mosquito detection of WNV in 2025.
Mosquito-Borne Disease Pages
Useful Things to Know
- Mosquitoes usually need standing water to breed, so containers, buckets, and blocked gutters matter.
- Many UK mosquito bites (at least for now) are nuisance bites rather than carrying risk of disease transmission.
- If you think you have found something unusual, use the reporting guidance on the citizen science page.