Beware Florida: New mosquito found 'thriving' in 3 counties may spread, transmit disease

Scientists are concerned about the spread of a new mosquito species found "thriving" in at least three South Florida counties because it could transmit diseases such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.

Culex lactator, native to South and Central America, has been found in Lee, Collier and Miami-Dade counties so far.

"I expect it to spread throughout South Florida and northward along both coasts," said Lawrence Reeves, a researcher at the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, whose team discovered it.

Florida already has a well-publicized invasive species problem thanks to Burmese pythons, lionfish, iguanas and giant land snails. The new mosquito is the sixth nonnative mosquito species to invade Florida in five years and the 11th in about two decades. That is alarming mosquito control officials.

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New mosquito species

The UF researchers notified local mosquito control districts after first finding the new species in low numbers near the Everglades in 2018. Larger populations recently have been found in Southwest Florida.

While warm winters can contribute to their spread, cold weather is their ultimately the barrier, Reeves said.

Not all mosquitoes bite or spread disease. They are common around the world:

• 3,600: Mosquito species worldwide

• 200: Species in the U.S.

• 90: Species in Florida

• 12: Species that can spread disease

Yet another disease-transmitting mosquito is expected to arrive in Florida soon, as it's already made the leap from its native Africa to the Dominican Republic and Cuba, Reeves said.

More info about Culex lactatorA new mosquito on the Florida scene, and scientists are worried