Paper short abstract:

This paper traces the history of the maligned yellow fever mosquito, from Africa, via slave ships and the Suez Canal, to Singapore. In doing so it argues that beyond labels of pest and invader, we might better grasp this insect as a companion species, interwoven with violent human activities.

Paper long abstract:

Long abstract:

The Aedes Aegypti, or yellow fever mosquito is doubly damned: both singled out as the primary vector of many deadly diseases such as dengue and zika, and labelled as an “invasive alien species” in just about every county in which it is found. Consequently, since the 1930s it has been identified as ‘epidemic villain’ and targeted for intensive eradication programs, from the Americas to Asia.

In tracing its roots and routes, however, this paper argues this much-maligned insect might better be grasped as a companion species. Following Aedes Aegypti’s historical trajectory, we find that, as they moved from East to West Africa in the 16th to 17th Century they got caught up in the violence of the triangle trade, becoming domesticated to human habitats and developing a thirst for human blood on slave ships. The mega project connecting two seas, the Suez Canal, then allowed them to hitch a ride to Asia, settling in counties such as Singapore at the turn of the 20th century. Yet, they only really began to proliferate in places like Singapore in 1960s, as a result of mass urbanisation and a warming climate. As the habitats of other species were wiped out, much like rats, this highly anthropophilic species moved in. In this light, this paper argues that, beyond labels of ‘pest’ and ‘invader’ Aedes Aegypti may well be the companion species we deserve, deeply interwoven with violent human activities.