aedes is a genus of mosquito originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but has spread by human activity to all continents excluding antarctica. several of the species transmit important human diseases and one species, "aedes albopictus", is the most invasive mosquito in the world. the name comes from the greek "aēdēs", meaning "unpleasant" or "odious", so called because of the diseases this type of mosquito transmits, including dengue fever and yellow fever.