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Insecta:  Diptera (Mosquitoes)

 

NORTH AMERICAN ANOPHELINES

 

(4th Instar Larvae)

(Contact)

 

 

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       Mosquito breeding sites are important to locate for effective mosquito control to be enacted.  Therefore, an ability to identify their larvae collected from standing or quiet water sources is essential.  The following key to principal problem species in North America is presented:

 

 

 

 

1.  The abdomen has feathery lateral hairs on the first 6 segments.  All hairs on the head are small and occur singly.  Larvae are

          found in tree holes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles barberi Coq.

 

    The abdomen has feathery lateral hairs only on the first 3 segments  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4

 

2.  Feathery hairs are well developed on segments #1 to #7 of the abdomen.  Both inner and outer hairs of the clypeus are long and

          slender. Inner clypeal hairs are widely separated and feathery on the outer half.  The outer clypeal hairs have tiny branches

           on the  outer half  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles albimanus Wied.

 

     Feathery hairs are well developed on segments #2 or #3 to #7 of the abdomen.  The inner and outher clypeal hairs are different

           from  the previous description  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3

 

3.  The outer hairs of the clypeus are not tightly branched dichotomously_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  4

 

      The outer hairs of the clypeus are tightly branched dichotomously  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6

 

4.  The inner, outer and posterior hairs of the clypeus are long, single, not quite equal and widely separated at their bases _ _ _ _ 5

 

      The inner and outer hairs of the clypeus are long and usually with 1 to 5 branches near the tips.  The posterior clypeal hairs are

          short and may be branched, while the inner hairs are closely set at their bases  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles atropos D. & K.

 

5.  The inner angle of each posterior plate of the respiratory apparatus is extended into a long, sclerotized tail (the tails project

          from the water in living larvae)   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles pseudopunctipennis Theo.

 

     The inner angle of each posterior plate is rounded and not extended into a tail  _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles franciscanus  McC.

 

6.  The abdominal segments #4 & #5 have 2 conspicuous hair tufts anterior to the feathery tuft (Nos. 2 and "0").  The tufts are about

          equal in size and have 4 to 9 branches _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Anopheles crucians Wied.

 

      The abdominal segments #4 & #5 have only one hair tuft (No. 2) anterior to each feathery tuft.  Hair "0" is absent or vestigial,

          but if  present the inner clypeal hairs are lightly feathered toward their tips _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7

 

7.  The inner hairs of the clypeus are divided into 2 or 3 branches or feathery toward their tips _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   8

 

     The inner hairs of clypeus are usually not branched but they may rarely be divided into 2 branches near the middle     _ _ _ _ 9

 

8.  The inner hairs of the clypeus are arranged so close together that an extra tubercle of the same size cannot fit between their

         bases. Each hair is thinly feathered on the apical half.  The occipital hairs (Nos., 8 & 9) are small and each with 2 to 4

         branches _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Anopheles walkeri Theo.

 

     The inner hairs of the clypeus are not arranged as close together so that an extra tubercle of the same size can be put between

          their  bases. The inner clypeal hairs have 2 or 3 branches near the middle.  The occipital hairs have many branches and

          stout shafts  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles earlei Vargas

 

9.  The inner hairs of the clypeus are separated at their bases by at least the diameter of one tubercle.  Feathery tufts are well

          developed on segments #3 to #7.  A feathery tuft on segment #2 is often well developed.  Occipital hairs are well developed

           with 8 to 10 branches  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say and Anopheles occidentalis D. & K.

 

     The inner hairs of the clypeus are so closely packed that an extra tubercle cannot be placed between their bases_ _ _ _ _ _  10

 

10.  Feathery tufts occur only on segments #4 to #6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Anopheles georgianus King

 

       Feathery tufts occur on segments #3 and #7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11

 

11.  Feathery tufts on segments #4 and #7 are smaller than the others.  The inner hairs of the clypeus are usually placed close

            together  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles bradleyi King

 

       Feathery tufts on segments #3 and #7 are of the same size as the others _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12

 

12.  Hair No. 2 on abdominal segments #4 and #5 has 4 to 5 branches  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles freeborni Aitken

 

       Hair No. 2 on abdominal segments #4 and #5 is not branched __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Anopheles punctipennis Say

 

 

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EXPANDED CULICIDAE KEYS

GO TO:  Anophilini Genera

GO TO:  Culicini Genera-adults

GO TO:  Culicini Genera-larvae

GO TO:  North American Anophelines-adults

GO TO:  Subfamilies & Tribes of Culicidae

 

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 Key References:     <medvet.ref.htm>    <Hexapoda>

 

American Association for the Advancement of Science.  1941.  Symp. on human malaria. Pub. #15, Washington, D.C.

Edwards, F. W.  1932.  Diptera, fam. Culicidae.  In: P. Wytsman, Genera Insectorum, fas. 194, Bruxelles.

Kumm, H. W.  1929.  The distribution of malaria carrying mosquitoes.  Amer. J. Hyg. Monograph Ser. No. 10    

Matheson, R. 1950.  Medical Entomology.  Comstock Publ. Co, Inc.  610 p.

Service, M.  2008.  Medical Entomology For Students.  Cambridge Univ. Press.  289 p

Legner, E. F.  1995.  Biological control of Diptera of medical and veterinary importance.  J. Vector Ecology 20(1): 59_120.

Legner, E. F.  2000.  Biological control of aquatic Diptera.  p. 847_870.  Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera,

          Vol. 1, Science  Herald, Budapest.  978 p.