Fearing a bite, many people grab a fly swatter as soon as they hear a mosquito buzzing. It is very interesting to take a closer look at what type of mosquito it is. On this page you can find out which visitors you can expect in Germany.
The common mosquito is most widespread in Germany
Harmless mosquitoes
The harmless mosquitoes are only rarely infected and often "only" cause itchy and sometimes painful bites. However, there are also mosquito species among them that do not bite at all.
The common mosquito
- best known in Germany because it is most widespread
- piercing
- becomes 3 to 5 mm in size
- dark brown to white body
- also known as house mosquito
- often stays close to people
- winters in cattle sheds and farms
The forest, meadow and flood mosquito
- stays near the water
- very common in flooded areas
- visual resemblance to the common mosquito
- piercing
- can cause meningitis
The big house mosquito
- becomes 10 to 13 mm in size
- black-grey body
- white ringed legs
- visual similarity to the Asian tiger mosquito (but is significantly larger)
- often stays close to people
- piercing
- transmits the Tahyna virus
The Sandfly
- loves warm climate
- distributed almost worldwide
- piercing
The blackfly
- becomes 2 to 6 mm in size
- reddish, yellow or black body
- visual resemblance to a fly
- stabbing (very painful)
- triggers allergies
- transmits the nematode in Africa (leads to blindness)
The bearded midge
- also called gnat
- becomes only 2 mm in size
- arched back
- hairy wings
- mainly bites the edges of clothing
- mainly active at dusk and at night
The midge
- not stabbing
- does not suck human blood
- nevertheless widespread
The winter mosquito
- completely black colored body
- easily survives the winter
- not stabbing
Dangerous mosquitoes
Attention, these mosquito species not only bite and cause severe pain, but can also transmit diseases. Mostly they come from distant countries and were brought in as parasites.
The Asian tiger mosquito
- easy to recognize by the white striped body
- occurs increasingly in southern Germany
- transmits West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and Chikungunya, Yellow, and Dengue Fever
- very adaptable
The Asian bush mosquito
- comes from southern China, Japan and Korea
- transmits West Nile virus
- can cause meningitis
- visual similarity to the Asian tiger mosquito (black body, silvery-white stripes)
The yellow fever mosquito
- also called Egyptian tiger mosquito
- comes from the tropics or subtropics
- only grows to 3 to 4 mm
- dark body with white stripes
- mainly distributed in southern Spain, Greece and Turkey
- loves warm climate
- transmits yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, and the Zika virus