Do you think you’ve just spotted an invasive mosquito or is it already trying to bite you? Think of us before smashing it! We’re awaiting your reports via sending  photos of the mosquito or the mosquito itself. When taking pictures it is important to show  the dorsal side of the mosquito’s thorax (top-view), and also the lateral parts of the legs and thorax/abdomen should be visible (side-view).

The easiest way to send photos is to make a report through the MosquitoAlert smartphone app. Please download the app from App Store or Google Play, it is available in more than 20 languages. Using the app, you can learn how to identify mosquitoes, you can take photos of the observed mosquito specimens, and send them  for further scientific processing. Providing information on nearby possible breeding sites as well as on mosquito bites you receive are also very useful. After each report, you will get feedback on which species the observed mosquito belongs to.

If you choose to send the photo via email, please send it as attached file  to the following address: szunyog@ecolres.hu. It is important to provide the following information regarding the circumstances of the observation:

• name of the city/town, geographical location, or GPS coordinates,
• habitat (where was the mosquito collected, e.g. in the park, near a stream etc.),
• the date on which the photo was taken (at least the day, but if the exact time is known please provide it in hours and minutes)

We’re also awaiting the mosquito specimens themselves sent by post (with the information detailed above, together with your e-mail address) to one of the following addresses:

Zoltán Soltész
Institute of Ecology and Botany
ELKH Centre for Ecological Research
2163 Vácrátót, Alkotmány street 2-4.

or

Kornélia Kurucz
University of Pécs
National Laboratory of Virology
7624 Pécs, Ifjúság street 20.