Through this so-called ovitrap monitoring project, new populations of these species can be detected at an early stage, allowing timely countermeasures to be taken. Ovitraps are traps that are inspected weekly for egg clutches of different species of catfish. These traps are mainly placed in urban areas and in places where alien species may be introduced into the country (e.g., highway rest areas). In Vienna, for example, the Asian tiger mosquito is introduced by long-distance traffic mainly in the area of Vienna's southeastern green belt or at individual inner-city long-distance bus stops. Since the first sighting in 2020, tiger mosquitoes have overwintered there and spread further into adjacent residential areas and garden settlements on a small scale. There are also populations that have overwintered in parts of Graz. Due to the significantly increased occurrence of the tiger mosquito compared to 2021, there is an increased risk of further populations establishing in other regions, e.g. in the greater Linz area. Cities are usually much warmer than surrounding areas, which favors the survival of tiger mosquito populations over winter.

We conduct ovitrap monitoring in cooperation with the provinces, universities and associations on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Ovitrap Monitoring of alien gnat species in Austria - Annual Report 2022