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Insecta:  Diptera (Mosquitoes)

CULICINI -Genera

(Larvae)

(Contact)

 

 

 

 

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1.  The siphon or distal half of the air tube is greatly attenuated, and the apical part has saw-like teeth for penetrating plants _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Mansonia spp. Blanchard

 

     The siphon is larger than previously described _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  2

 

2.  The head is longer than it is broad or at least as long as broad that makes it look more rounded.  Abdominal segment #8 has a

        lateral  chitinous plate with one row of comblike teeth on the posterior margin.  The antennae are not inflated or very large

           _ _  __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Uranotaenia spp. Lyn. Arrib.

 

     The head is always broader than it is long.  Abdominal segment #8 does not have a chitinous plate save for a few species of

          Psorophora and all Aedomyia spp. in which case their antennae are inflated and flat  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3

 

3.  The air tube has pecten with the teeth almost always denticulate  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4

 

     The air tube does not have pecten or rarely just a few simple teeth that are not denticulate  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   9

 

4.  The air tube has a few pairs of ventral hair tufts (at least 2 pairs) and sometimes scattered dorsal hairs or the air tube is

        especially  long and slender with hair tufts absent   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   5

 

     The air tube is different from that previously described and with never more than a single pair of hair tufts.  Or additionally

       there may  be a median ventral line of hair tufts _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   7

 

5.  Mouth brushes are prehensile and may appear as matted tufts or as rods (Sugenus Lutzia) _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Culex spp. Linnaeus

 

     Mouth brushes are not prehensile and composed of long hairs _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  6

 

6.  The head has a showy pouch on each side enclosing the mandible, which has a hairy base  _ _ _ _ _ Deinocerites spp. Theobald

 

     The head is without a pouch and the mandibles do not have a hairy base  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Culex spp. Linnaeus

 

7.  The air tube has a pair of basal hair tufts or only basal single non-tufted hairs  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Culiseta spp. Felt

 

      a.  The air tube has a pair of basal hair tufts and a median row of ventral tufts (Subgenus Climacura) _ _Culiseta spp. Felt

 

      b.  The air tube has a single pair of ventral tufts near the middle of the tube or beyond.  If tufts are absent or vestigial then

                  the anal segment is ringed by the dorsal plate and pierced by some of the tufts of the ventral brush_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   8

 

8.   The anal segment is completely ringed by the dorsal plate and the plate is pierced on the mid-ventral line by tufts of the ventral

           brush.  The air tube is frequently swollen and has a pecten of several teeth_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Psorophora spp. Rb. Desvoidy

 

     The anal segment is not entirely ringed by the dorsal plate, but if it is the ventral brush is confined posteriorly to the ring.  The

      tufts do  not pierce the dorsal plate  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Aedes spp. Meigen & Haemagogus spp. Williston

 

9.  The antennae are short and almost cylindrical but never inflated.  There is a simple hair on the shaft. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10

 

     The antennae are longer and may be cylindrical, inflated or flattened.  There is a branched hair on the shaft _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  12

 

10.  The ventral tuft of the air tube is large   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   11

 

       The ventral tuft of the air tube is small and simple (Malayan species)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _  Zeugnomyia sp. Leicester

 

11.  The ventral brush of the anal segment is well developed with a barred area (Oriental & Australasian species)  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

      _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Armigeres spp. Theobald

 

       The ventral brush of the anal segment never has more than 4 pairs of single hairs (usually 1 or 2).  They never form a barred

          area  (African species) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Eretmapodites spp. Theobald

 

12.  The antennae are very large and flattened but not cylindrical in cross section (South and Central America, Africa, Oriental

           species)   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Aedomyia spp. Theobald

 

       The antennae are not very large and flattened and they are usually cylindrical in cross section  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13

 

13.  There are usually large sclerotized plates present dorsally on abdominal segments 6 to 8 or rarely they may be absent

           _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Orthopodomyia spp. Theobald

 

      Sclerotized plates are absent on abdominal segments 6 to 8   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   14

 

14.  The antennal hair tufts are distant from apex.  The anal segment is ringed by a dorsal plate_ _ _ _ _ _ Ficlbia spp. Theobald

 

       a.  The hair tufts are placed near antenna apex.  The anal segment is ringed by a dorsal plate _ _ _ _ Hodgesia spp. Theobald

 

     b.  The hair tufts are placed before the antenna middle.  The anal segment is not ringed by the dorsal plate_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

                  _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Orthopodomyia spp. Theobald_

 

 

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EXPANDED CULICIDAE KEYS

GO TO:  Anophilini Genera

GO TO:  Culicini Genera-adults

GO TO:  North American Anophelines-adults

GO TO:  North American Anophelines-larvae

GO TO:  Subfamilies & Tribes of Culicidae

 

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

 

     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.