Morphology

Ae. aegypti also known as the yellow fever mosquito is under the family Culicidae. It
is the main vector of both dengue and yellow fever viruses that is widely distributed in the
tropics and subtropics areas (Zettel et. al., 2013). The female mosquitoes are the ones who
transfer the disease from one person to another. This species of mosquito is distinctive for
its morphological characteristics. It is a small, dark mosquito with white lyre shaped
markings and banded legs. The proboscis is all black with white tipped palps; the scutum
has a dorsal pattern of white scales in the form of a 'lyre' with curved lateral and 2 central
stripes contrasting with the general covering of narrow dark scales; wings are dark scaled;
hind legs with femur pale scaled for basal three-quarters with dark scales dorsally on apical
two-thirds and ventrally on apical third, tibia dark but tarsi with pale basal bands on 1-4
and 5 all pale; abdominal tergites with median and lateral white scale patches or bands
(possibly some white scales on apical margins), sternites predominantly pale scaled with
subapical bands on distal segments (Russel,1996).