Species info
Classification > Subfamily Culicinae > Tribe Culicini > Genus Culex > Subgenus Culex
Culex interfor Dyar, 1928
Gonocoxopodite of male specimen of Culex interfor (Photo: M. Laurito).
Gonocoxopodite of male specimen of Culex interfor (Photo: M. Laurito).
Gonocoxopodite of male specimen of Culex interfor (Photo: M. Laurito).
Lateral plate of Culex interfor (Photo: M. Laurito).
Lateral plate of Culex interfor (Photo: M. Laurito).
Semipermanent puddle where the immature states of Culex interfor develop (Photo: M. Laurito).
Semipermanent puddle where the immature states of Culex interfor develop (Photo: M. Laurito).
Pupa of Culex interfor. A. Metathorax (left side = dorsal, right side = ventral); B. Abdomen (left side = dorsal, right side = ventral); C. Cephalothorax. CT: cephalothorax; GL: genital lobe; Pa: paddle; T: trumpet (Photo: Mureb-Sallum et a.l, 1996).
Pupa of Culex interfor. A. Metathorax (left side = dorsal, right side = ventral); B. Abdomen (left side = dorsal, right side = ventral); C. Cephalothorax. CT: cephalothorax; GL: genital lobe; Pa: paddle; T: trumpet (Photo: Mureb-Sallum et a.l, 1996).
Larva of Culex interfor. A. Thorax and abdominal segments I–VI; B. Head; C. Comb scales; D. Abdominal segments VII–X. E. Pecten spines. CS = comb scales, M = mesothorax, P = prothorax, PS = pecten spine, S = siphon, T = metathorax, I–X = abdominal segments (Photo: Mureb-Sallum et al., 1996).
Larva of Culex interfor. A. Thorax and abdominal segments I–VI; B. Head; C. Comb scales; D. Abdominal segments VII–X. E. Pecten spines. CS = comb scales, M = mesothorax, P = prothorax, PS = pecten spine, S = siphon, T = metathorax, I–X = abdominal segments (Photo: Mureb-Sallum et al., 1996).
 
Geographic distribution
Distribution
Record
  • Argentina
    • Buenos Aires
    • Catamarca
    • Chaco
    • Córdoba
    • Corrientes
    • Entre Ríos
    • Formosa
    • La Pampa
    • La Rioja
    • Misiones
    • Salta
    • San Luis
    • Santa Fe
    • Tucumán
Other distribution
Paraguay
 
Synonyms
  • Sin registros/no records .
Observations
Type locality: between Tucuman and Jujuy, Argentina.

Disease relations: Specimens of Culex interfor were reported naturally infected with the Saint Louis Encephalitis (SLEV) virus in Córdoba, Argentina, during an outbreak in 2005 (Díaz et al., 2006). The species is susceptible to the Saint Louis Encephalitis virus and competent for its transmission in laboratory conditions (Beranek et al. 2020). Specimens of the species naturally infected with SLEV were detected in agroecosystems of northeastern La Pampa Province, Argentina (Mansilla et al., 2026).
Habitat and breeding sites
Immature stages were collected in a permanent natural pool originated by rainfalls or overflowing, between rocks; flooding depressions of land and artificial containers in urban and rural areas (animal drinkers).
Links
References
  • DURET, J. P. 1953b. Notas sobre Culex argentinos. (Diptera-Culicidae). Revista de la Sanidad Militar Argentina 52 (2): 272-278.
  • CASTRO, M., GARCÍA, M., BRESSANELLO, M. D. 1959 (1960). Diptera Culicidae Culicinae, p. 547-562. En: J. F. R. Bejarano, E. Del Ponte and R. N. Orfila (ed.), Primeras Jornadas Entomoepidemiológicas Argentinas 2, Buenos Aires.
  • HARBACH, R. E., JAKOB, W. L., PEYTON, E. L. 1986. Recognition of Culex bidens Dyar and Culex interfor Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae) as separate species. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 18: 139-144.
  • MUREB-SALLUM, M. A., ALMIRÓN, W. R., FORATTINI, O. P. 1996. Culex (Culex) interfor Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae), morphological description including previously unknown life stages. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 91 (5): 563-570.
  • CAMPOS, R. E., MACIÁ, A. 1998. Culicidae. Cap. 28. En Morrone, J. J. & Coscarón, S. (Eds.) Biodiversidad de Artrópodos Argentinos: Una pespectiva biotaxonómica. (pp. 291-303). La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ediciones Sur.
  • DÍAZ, L. A., RÉ, V., ALMIRÓN, W. R., FARÍAS, A., VÁZQUEZ, A., PAZ SANCHEZ-SECO, M., AGUILAR, J., SPINSANTI, L., KONIGHEIM, B., VISINTIN, A., GARCÍA, J., MORALES, M. A., TENORIO, A., CONTIGIANI, M. 2006. Genotype III Saint Louis encephalitis virus outbreak, Argentina, 2005. Emerging Infectious Diseases 12 (11): 1752-1754.
  • VISINTÍN, A. M., LAURITO, M., STEIN, M., RAMÍREZ, P., MOLINA, G., LORENZO, P. R., ALMIRÓN, W. R. 2010. Two new mosquito species and six new provincial records in Argentina. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 26 (1): 91-94.
  • BATALLÁN, G. 2013. Bionomía de Culex interfor Dyar (Diptera: Culcidae) en Córdoba, Argentina. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.
  • LAURITO, M., VISINTIN, A. M., LORENZO, P. R., BERRÓN, C. I., DIEZ, N., ALMIRÓN, W. R. 2013b. New records of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) from Catamarca and Santa Fe provinces, Argentina. Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 72 (3-4): 215-217.
  • LAURITO, M., ALMIRÓN, W. R. 2015. Morphological variation in diagnostic features for two Culex (Culex) species of the Neotropical Region (Diptera: Culicidae). Zootaxa 4052 (5): 573-576.
  • LAURITO, M., ALMIRÓN, W. R., LUDUEÑA ALMEIDA, F. F. 2015. Discrimination of four Culex (Culex) species from the Neotropics based on geometric morphometrics. Zoomorphology. doi 10.1007/s00435-015-0271-x.
  • ROSSI, G. C. 2015. Annotated checklist, distribution, and taxonomic bibliography of the mosquitoes (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae) of Argentina. Check List 11 (4): 1712.
  • LAURITO, M., AYALA, A. M., ALMIRÓN, W. R., GARDENAL, C. N. 2017b. Molecular identification of two Culex (Culex) species of the neotropical region (Diptera: Culicidae). Plos One doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173052
  • BERANEK, M. 2019. Mosquitos Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) posibles vectores del virus St. Louis Encephalitis (Flavivirus) en ambientes urbanos y rurales de la provincia de Córdoba. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.
  • BERANEK, M. D., QUAGLIA, A. I., PERALTA, G., FLORES, F. S., STEIN, M., DÍAZ, L. A., ALMIRÓN, W. R., CONTIGIANI, M. 2020. Culex interfor and Culex saltanensis (Diptera: Culicidae) are susceptible and competent to transmit St. Louis encephalitis virus (Flavivirus: Flaviviridae) in central Argentina. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Trans 1-5, DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa058
  • MANSILLA, A. P., LAURITO, M., FARÍAS, A. A., DÍAZ, A. 2026. Ecological drivers of St. Louis encephalitis virus activity in mosquito communities from Argentine agroecosystems. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/mve.70066
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