Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758
Lateral plate of Culex pipiens (Photo: M. Laurito).
Geographic distribution
Distribution
Record
- Argentina
- Buenos Aires
- Chubut
- Córdoba
- Corrientes
- Entre Ríos
- La Pampa
- La Rioja
- Mendoza
- Neuquén
- Río Negro
- San Juan
- San Luis
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Fe
- Uruguay
Other distribution
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, China, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guam, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel (and Gaza Strip & West Bank), Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kenya, Korea; South, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar (includes Glorioso & Juan De NovaIs), Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Nigeria, Norway, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan and South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom (includes Guernsey; Jersey; Isle of Man), United States; contiguous lower 48, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Zimbabwe
- agilis Bigot
- autogenicus Roubaud
- azoriensis Theobald
- berbericus Roubaud
- bicolor Meigen
- bifurcatus Linnaeus
- calcitrans Robineau-Desvoidy
- calloti Rioux and Pech
- comitatus Dyar and Knab
- consobrinus Robineau-Desvoidy
- dipseticus Dyar and Knab
- disjunctus Roubaud
- doliorum Edwards
- domesticus Germar
- erectus Iglisch.
- fasciatus Mueller
- haematophagus Ficalbi
- longefurcatus Becker
- luteus Meigen
- marginalis Stephens
- melanorhinus Giles
- meridionalis Leach
- molestus Forskal.
- osakaensis Theobald
- pallipes Macquart
- pallipes Waltl
- phytophagus Ficalbi
- quasimodestus Theobald
- rufinus Bigot
- rufus Meigen
- sternopallidus Roubaud
- sternopunctatus Roubaud
- thoracicus Robineau-Desvoidy
- torridus Iglisch.
- trifurcatus Fabricius
- unistriatus Curtis
- varioannulatus Theobald
The distribution of this species and the closely related Culex quinquefasciatus in Argentina was discussed by Mitchell et al. (1984). They indicated that, although specific distribution limits in the zone of overlap are not well defined, generally Culex pipiens occurs south of an east-west line between Buenos Aires and southern San Juan Provinces, whereas Culex quinquefasciatus is found north of that line (Mitchell & Darsie, 1985). The bioform pipiens was reported for the first time in South American by Cardo et al. (2024) in Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut provinces; as well as hybrids between both bioforms (pipiens and molestus) in the mentioned provinces.
Disease relations: Culex pipiens is primary vector of West Nile virus in the United States (Kramer et al., 2007). Experimental studies have shown Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes were refractory to the Western Equine Encephalitis virus (Avilés et aI., 1990). Specimens of Culex pipiens have been recorded naturally infected with Eastern and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses in Uruguay (Burgueño et al. 2018).
Culex molestus Forskål, 1775 is a recognized synonym and physiological variant (molestus form) of Culex pipiens (Harbach & Wilkerson 2023).
Disease relations: Culex pipiens is primary vector of West Nile virus in the United States (Kramer et al., 2007). Experimental studies have shown Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes were refractory to the Western Equine Encephalitis virus (Avilés et aI., 1990). Specimens of Culex pipiens have been recorded naturally infected with Eastern and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses in Uruguay (Burgueño et al. 2018).
Culex molestus Forskål, 1775 is a recognized synonym and physiological variant (molestus form) of Culex pipiens (Harbach & Wilkerson 2023).
- DURET, J. P. 1951a. Contribución al conocimiento de la distribución geográfica de los culicidos argentinos (Diptera-Culicidae). Parte II. Revista de la Sanidad Militar Argentina 50: 64-72.
- BACHMANN, A. O., BEJARANO, J. F. R. 1960. Dispersión de mosquitoes en la Patagonia. Neotropica 6:70-71.
- BIANCHINI, N., BIANCHINI, J. P., ASTEGIANO, M. 1965 (1967). Especies de mosquitos de la provincia de Córdoba (Diptera, Culicidae). Segundas Jornadas Entomoepidemiológicas Argentinas 2: 191-194.
- BALSEIRO, E. G. 1982. Estadísticos vitales en Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae). Limnobios, La Plata 2: 323-329.
- MITCHELL, C. J., DARSIE, R. F. JR., MONATH, T. P. 1984. Occurrence of autogenous Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758, (Diptera:Culicidae) in Argentina and notes on distribution of the complex. Mosquito Systematics 16 (4): 308-316.
- MITCHELL, C. J., DARSIE, R. F. JR. 1985. Mosquitoes of Argentina. Part II. Geographic distribution and bibliography (Diptera, Culicidae). Mosquito Systematics 17 (4): 279-362.
- BREWER, M., BUFFA, L., ALMIRÓN, W. 1986. Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus y Culex pipiens pipiens (Dipt.: Culicidae) en Córdoba, Argentina. Revista Peruana de Entomología 29: 69-72.
- BREWER, M, BUFFA, L. ALMIRÓN, W. 1987. Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 y Culex pipiens pipiens L., 1758 (Diptera, Culicidae) en Córdoba, Argentina. Revista Peruana de Entomología 29: 69-72.
- CAMINO, N. B., GARCÍA, J. J. 1988. Crecimiento larval de S. spiculatus Poinar y Camino, 1986 (Nematoda, Mermithidae) en Culex pipiens fatigans Weideman, 1828, como hospedador alternativo. Iheringia, serie Miscelánea 2: 31-37.
- AVILÉS, G., SABATTINI, M. S., MITCHELL, C. J. 1990. Peroral susceptibility of Aedes albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Argentina to Westem Equine Encephalitis virus. Revista de Saúde Pública. 24: 265-269.
- GARCÍA, J. J., CAMINO, N. B. 1990. Primera cita para la Argentina de infecciones neturales en larvas de Culex pipiens (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). Neotropica 36 (96): 83-86.
- BALSEIRO, E. G., FERNÁNDEZ, L. A. 1992. La relación depredador-presa entre larvas de Tropisternus setiger (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) y Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae): efectos del tamaño del depredador y de la presa. Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 51 (1-4): 79-85.
- SOSA, C. A., ALMIRÓN, W. R., BREWER, M. M. D. 1994. Hematofagia y autogenia en el complejo Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae) de Córdoba. Ecología Austral 4: 111-116.
- ALMIRÓN, W. R., HUMERES, S. G., GARDENAL, C. N. 1995. Distribution and hybridization between Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 90 (4): 469-473.
- ALMIRÓN, W. R., BREWER, M. E. 1996. Winter biology of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, (Diptera: Culicidae) from Córdoba, Argentina. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 91 (5): 649-654.
- 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.
- HUMERES, S. G., ALMIRÓN, W. R., SABATTINI, M. S., GARDENAL, C. N. 1998. Estimation of genetic divergence and gene flow between Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 93 (1): 57-62.
- CAMINO, N. B., REBOREDO, G. R. 2000. Infectividad de Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda, Mermithidae) en Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae). Iheringia, Sec. Zool. 88: 147-150.
- ACHINELLY, M. F., CAMINO, N. B. 2005. Evaluation of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) as alternative hosts for laboratory mass-rearing of Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda: Mermithidae). Nematology 7 (2): 281-284.
- MURÚA, F., CORIA, C., ACOSTA, J. C., RATTI, D., ALMIRÓN, W. 2005. Evaluación del efecto larvicida de tierra de diatomeas sobre Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicdae). Multequina, 14: 53-56.
- ALMIRÓN, W. R., DÍAZ, L. A., SPINSANTI, L. I., RE, V., VISINTIN, A., FARIAS, A., CONTIGIANI, M. 2006. Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus y su relación con la encefalitis de San Luis en Córdoba, Argentina. Revista Argentina de Zoonosis. 3(1): 24-27.
- MARTI, G. A., AZPELICUETA, M. M., TRANCIDA, M. C., PELIZZA, S. A., GARCÍA, J. J. 2006. Predation efficiency of indigenous larvivorous fish species on Culex pipiens L. larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in drainage ditches in Argentina. Journal of Vector Ecology 31 (1): 102-106.
- KRAMER, L. D., STYER, L. M., EBEL, G. D. 2007. A global perspective on the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Annual Review of Entomology. 53: 61–81.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C. 2009. Estudio y evaluación de depredadores y bacterias entomopatógenas de Aedes aegypti y Culex pipiens, como potenciales agentes de control. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., MACIA, A., MICIELI, M. V., GARCIA, J. J. 2009. Evaluation of Cyclopoids (Crustacea: Copepoda) Natives from Argentina as Predators of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Revista de Biología Tropical 57 (4): 1059-1068.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., MICIELI, M. V., MACIÁ, A., GARCÍA, J. J. 2009. Native Argentinean cyclopoids (Crustacea: Copepoda) as predators of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. Revista de Biología Tropical 57 (4): 1059-1068.
- VEZZANI, D., ALBICÓCCO, A. P. 2009. The effect of shade on the container index and pupal productivity of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens breeding in artificial containers. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 23: 78-84.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., PELIZZA, S. A., BISARO, V., BELTRÁN, C., GARCÍA, J. J., MICIELI, M. V. 2010. Use of the neotropical fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus for long-term control of Culex pipiens L. in Argentina. Biological Control 53: 183-187.
- FRANCIA, A., MACIÁ, A. 2011. Efectos de la competencia larval en los mosquitos de contenedores artificiales, Aedes aegypti y Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) en condiciones semi-controladas. Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 70 (3-4): 305-315.
- MACIÁ, A. 2011. Degradación de las hojas de "tilo" y "fresno" y la utilización de recursos por las larvas del mosquito Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) en contenedores artificiales de agua. Ciencia Crítica (2): 12-18.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., RICCILLO, P. M., MICIELI, M. V., GARCÍA, J. J., RODRIGUERO, M. S. 2011. Isolation, characterization and evaluation of mosquitocidal activity of Lysinibacillus strains obtained from Culex pipiens larvae. Annals of Microbiology 61: 575-584.
- VEZZANI, D., MESPLET, M., EIRAS, D. F., FONTANARROSA, M. F., SCHNITTGER, L. 2011. PCR detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens from urban temperate Argentina. Parasitology Research 108: 985-989.
- DIEZ, F., BRESER, V. J., QUIRÁN, E. M. & ROSSI, G. C. 2012. Hybrid forms of th Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae): new records in La Pampa province, Argentina. Check List 8 (2): 251-253.
- FISCHER, S., PEREYRA, D., FERNÁNDEZ, L. 2012. Predation ability and non-consumptive effects of Notonecta sellata (Heteroptera: Notonectidae) on immature stages of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Vector Ecology 37: 245-251.
- MUTTIS, E., MIELE, S. A. B., GHIRINGHELLI, P. D., BELAICH, M. N., MICIELI, M.V., BECNEL, J. J., GARCIA, J. J. 2012. First record of a mosquito iridescent virus in Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae). Archives of Virology 157 (8): 1569-1571. doi: 10.1007/s00705-012-1302
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., RICCILO, P., RODRIGUERO, M. S., GARCIA, J. J., MICIELI, M. V. 2012. Isolation and identification of the α-protobacteria from Culex pipiens (Diptera. Culicidae) larvae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology109: 143-147.
- MUTTIS, E., MICIELI, M. V., GARCÍA, J. J. 2013. Culex pipiens affected by joint infection of a mosquito iridescent virus and Strelkovimermis spiculatus. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 114: 295-297.
- MICIELI, M.V., GLASER, R.L. 2014. Somatic Wolbachia Levels in Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) and Resistance to West Nile Virus Infection. Journal of Medical Entomology 51:189-199.
- TRANCHIDA, M. C., PELIZZA, S. A., MICIELI, M. V., MACIÁ, A. 2014. Consequences of the introduction of the planarian Girardia anceps (Tricladida: Dugesiidae) in artificial containers with larvae of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) from Argentina. Biological Control 71: 49-55.
- MUTTIS, E., MICIELI, M.V., URRUTIA, M. L., GARCIA, J. J. 2015. Transmission of a pathogenic virus (Iridoviridae) of Culex pipiens larvae mediated by the mermithid Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 129: 40-44.
- ROSSI, G. C. 2015. Annotated checklist, distribution, and taxonomic bibliography of the mosquitoes (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae) of Argentina. Check List 11 (4): 1712.
- CARDO, M. V., RUBIO, A., JUNGES, M., VEZZANI, D., CARBAJO, A. E. 2016. Distribution of the members of the Pipiens Assemblage in the sympatric area from Argentina: which is where and when? Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 111 (11): 676-685.
- BURGUEÑO, A., FRABASILE, S., DÁZ, L. A., CABRERA, A., PISANO, M. B., RIVAROLA, M. E., CONTIGIANI, M., DELFRARO, A. 2018. Genomic characterization and seroprevalence studies on Alphaviruses in Uruguay. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 98 (6): 1811-1818.
- CARDO, M. V., RUBIO, A., JUNGES, M. T., VEZZANI, D., CARBAJO, A. E. 2018. Heterogeneous distribution of Culex pipiens, Culex quinquefasciatus and their hybrids along the urbanisation gradient. Acta Tropica, 178: 229-235.
- MUTTIS, E., MICIELI, M. V., BONICA, M. B., GHIRINGHELLI, P. D., GARCÍA, J. J. 2020. Mosquito Iridescent Virus: new records from nature and infections using Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Mermithidae) as a vector under laboratory conditions. Neotropical Entomology 49: 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-019-00755-9
- HARBACH, R. H., WILKERSON, R. D. 2023. The insupportable validity of mosquito subspecies (Diptera: Culicidae) and their exclusion from culicid classification. Zootaxa 5303 (1): 001–184.
- CARDO, M. V., RUBIO, A., CARBAJO, A. E., VEZZANI, D. 2024. Exploring the range of Culex mosquitoes in Western Argentinean Patagonia, unveiling the presence of Culex pipiens bioform pipiens in South America. Parasitology Research 123:151.123:151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-024-08166-5
