Culex (Culex) pipiens Linnæus 1758 ♀ (Diptera Culicoidea Culicidæ Culicinæ Culicini)

Illustration for a comparative ecophylogenetic analysis of local myrmecofaunas, based on r/K selection theory and intra / interspecific parabiosis / lestobiosis, particularly focused on allochthonous and invasive species.

 

[Culex Linnæus 1758: 26 (IT: 4) sgg, 845 (IT: 12) spp; Culicini: 4 gg, 795 spp; Culicinæ: 11 tbb, 41+†2 gg, 3,066 spp; Culicidæ: 2+†1 sff, 12+†1 tbb, 44+†3 gg, 3,500 spp]

 

Conspecific sympatric adult ♀, dorsal habitus.

 

C. pipiens is the most common Culex in the Northern hemisphere and is a vector of many diseases; it is fundamentally glycyphagous and only ♀♀ have piercing-sucking mouthparts and are preferentially hæmatophagous (20÷200 epd). Maxillæ and mandibulæ of ♂♂ are short, delicate tape-like sucking structures and epipharynx is fused with prepharynx. C. pipiens pipiens (anautogenous, primarily ornithophilic) and C. pipiens molestus (autogenous, primarily mammophilic) are interfertile. Host detection is mainly chemotropic, thermoacoustic and optochromatic. The main human kairomone is lactic acid, with a synergic action of CO₂ and H₂O emitted by breathing and perspiration; additional attractants are volatile substances in sweat and sebum produced by the skin flora. ♀♀ also release AP on hosts, attracting both ♀♀ and ♂♂. BPC methods include Wolbachia-induced CI and introduction of hyperparasites and predators, as Toxorhynchites.

 

REFERENCES

 

D.A. Yee & al. 2022: Culicidæ and human pathogens.

R.C. Wilkerson & al. 2021: Mosquitoes of the world.

N. Becker & al. 2020: Culicidæ, pp. 120, 276-278.

D.A.H. Peach & G. Gries 2019: Culicidæ phytophagy.

G.R. Mullen & L.A. Durden 2019: Medical entomology, pp. 261-325.

G. Wolff & J.A. Riffell 2018: Culicidæ host pref. mechanisms.

R.E. Harbach 2018: Culicipedia, p. 104.

D. Bravo & al. 2017: Culicidæ of Western Spain.

F.M. Jiggins 2017: Wolbachia through mosquito populations.

B.A. Harrison & al. 2016: Culicidæ of mid-atlantic US, pp. 64-65.

H. Liu & al. 2016: ORCO and ORs in Aedes albopictus.

A.S. Raikhel 2016: Progress in Culicidæ research (AIP51).

H. Mehlhorn 2016: Encyclopedia of parasitology, pp. 1685-1708.

C. Carraher & al. 2015: The structural basis for insect olfaction.

F.v. Breugel & al. 2015: Vision, odor plumes and thermal targets.

H. Asgharian & al. 2015: C. pipiens evolutionary genomics.

Y. Wang & al. 2015: GS incongruence investigation in Culicidæ.

D.M. Suker & L.W. Simmons 2014: Evolution of insect mating.

N. Becker & al. 2012: The C. pipiens complex in Europe. (→ RG)

M. Calzolari & al. 2012: WNV & USUV in Emilia-Romagna in 2010.

S.P. Frances & al. 2009: SS220 & DEET evaluation.

J.H. Werren & al. 2008: Wolbachia: master manipulators of IB.

R.E. Harbach 2007: Review of Culicidæ phylogeny.

Y. Xia & L.J. Zwiebel 2006: CqOR7 from Culex quinquefasciatus.

M.J. Lehane 2005: Biology of blood-sucking insects.

G.M. Attardo & al. 2005: Culicidæ nutritional VG regulation.

D.M. Fonseca & al. 2004: C. pipiens cmpx emerging vectors.

I. Wahid & al. 2003: Culicidæ maxillæ and mandibulæ.

R.E. Harbach & I.J. Kitching 1998: Culicidæ phylogeny.

J. Boorman & al. 1995: Culicomorpha IT F65.

M.F. Bowen 1995: Culicidæ ♀♀ sensilla basiconica.

N. Tsuji & al. 1990: Autogenous and anautogenous Culicidæ.

F. Engelmann & G.A. Kerkut 1970: Insect reproduction.

 

IR • RID • DEET • VUAA1 • SS220 • ECDC's reverse id key

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