female, Aedes albopictus mosquito

This image depicts a close-up, left, anterior-oblique view of a female, Aedes albopictus mosquito, about to feed on a human host’s blood. It was in the process of inserting its needle-sharp proboscis through the host’s skin surface, in search of a small blood-filled arteriole. Under experimental conditions, the A. albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, has been found to be a vector of the West Nile virus.