Aedes malayensis was first described in 1963 by Australian entomologist Donald Henry Colless as a subspecies of Aedes scutellaris from males collected at Pulau Hantu, Keppel Harbor, Singapore.

[1][2] In 1972 the subspecies was elevated to species status by Yiau-Min Huang,[3] although the move was disputed by the original describer on biological as opposed to morphological principles.

[4] The immature stages of Aedes malayensis are found mainly in tree holes, bamboo stumps, coconut shells and artificial containers.

[3] The species' distribution includes Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[2] Although no direct role as a vector of disease has been definitively elucidated for Aedes malayensis, the females are known to bite humans[3] and dengue virus has been transovarially transmitted experimentally in the species.