1. Introduction
Aedes mosquitoes represent a major cause of human suffering
due to the mosquito borne diseases they transmit which include
dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever. These diseases collectively
infect 50–100 million people every year, while over 2.5 billion
people live in areas where the diseases can be transmitted
[1]. Aedes aegypti is found throughout the tropics and subtropics
worldwide (S. America, Southeast Asia, Africa) and poses a major
long term public health problem for numerous countries [1]. Aedes
albopictus was initially considered an endemic species in SE Asia,
however its geographical range has dramatically increased in the
last century due to trade and climate changes which opened new
ecological niches in temperate areas [2]. Recent epidemics of the
febrile illness, caused by chikungunya virus in Europe, are associated
with the expansion of Ae. albopictus [3].