Culex
Culex | |
---|---|
Culex pipiens female | |
Culex sp. male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Family: | Culicidae |
Subfamily: | Culicinae |
Tribe: | Culicini |
Genus: | Culex Linnaeus, 1758 |
Type species | |
Linnaeus , 1758
| |
Diversity | |
Over 1,000 species |
Culex or typical mosquitoes are a
Etymology
In naming this genus, Carl Linnaeus used the nonspecific Latin term for a midge or gnat: culex.[1]
Description
Depending on the species, the adult Culex mosquito may measure from 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in). The adult morphology is typical of flies in the suborder
Formal identification is important in mosquito control, but it is demanding and requires careful measurements of bodily proportions and noting the presence or absence of various bristles or other bodily features.[2]
In the field, informal identification is more often important, and the first question as a rule is whether the mosquito is
Life cycle
The developmental cycle of most species takes about two weeks in warm weather. The metamorphosis is typical of holometabolism in an insect: the female lays eggs in rafts of as many as 300 on the water's surface. Suitable habitats for egg-laying are small bodies of standing fresh water: puddles, pools, ditches, tin cans, buckets, bottles, and water storage tanks (tree boles are suitable for only a few species). The tiny, cigar-shaped, dark brown eggs adhere to each other through adhesion forces, not any kind of cement, and are easily separated. Eggs hatch only in the presence of water, and the larvae are obligately aquatic, linear in form, and maintain their position and mostly vertical attitude in water by movements of their bristly mouthparts. To swim, they lash their bodies back and forth through the water.[4][5]
During the larval stage, the insect lives submerged in water and feeds on particles of organic matter, microscopic organisms or plant material; after several instars it then develops into a pupa. Unlike the larva, the pupa is comma-shaped. It does not feed, but can swim in rapid jerking motions to avoid potential predators. It must remain in regular contact with the surface to breathe, but it must not become desiccated. After 24–48 hours, the pupa ruptures and the adult emerges from the shed exoskeleton.[citation needed]
Vector of disease
Diseases borne by one or more species of Culex mosquitoes vary in their dependence on the species of vector. Some are rarely and only incidentally transmitted by Culex species, but Culex and closely related genera of culicine mosquitoes readily support perennial epidemics of certain major diseases if they become established in a particular region.[citation needed]
- Cat Que Virus (CQV) has been largely reported in Culex mosquitoes in China and in pigs in Vietnam. For CQV, domestic pigs are considered to be the primary mammalian hosts. Antibodies against the virus have been reported in swine reared locally in China.
- Arbovirus infections transmitted by various species of Culex include West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and Western and Eastern equine encephalitis. Brazilian scientists are investigating if Culex species transmit zika virus.[6]
- Nematode infections, mainly forms of filariasis may be borne by Culex species, as well as by other mosquitoes and bloodsucking flies.
- Protist parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa, such as various forms of avian malaria
Nonanal has been identified as a compound that attracts Culex mosquitoes, perhaps pheromonally.[7][8][9] Nonanal acts synergistically with carbon dioxide.[10]
Diversity
Culex is a diverse genus. It comprises over 20 subgenera that include a total of well over 1,000 species. Publications of newly described species are frequent.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "culex". dictionary.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ Harbach, Ralph. "Culex Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory". Archived from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- ^ "Entomology and Acarology: Difference between Anopheline and Culicine mosquitoes". ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in.
- ^ "Mosquito Ecology and Surveillance Laboratory". Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-521-70928-6.
- ^ Moraes, Priscilla (March 27, 2016). "Brazilian experts investigate if 'common mosquito' is transmitting zika virus". Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "UC Davis Researchers Identify Dominant Chemical That Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans". University of California, Davis. October 26, 2009. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- PMID 19858490.
- PMID 19153252.
- ^ "Scientists Identify Key Smell that Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans". U.S. News & World Report. October 28, 2009. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
External links
- On the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- Culex pipiens at MetaPathogen: facts, life cycle
- Mosquito Chapter in the National Public Health Pesticide Applicator Training Manual