Culex ocossa Dyar and Knab, 1919
 
Geographic distribution
Distribution
Record
  • Argentina
    • Chaco
    • Corrientes
    • Formosa
Other distribution
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.
 
  • Sin registros/no records .
Before 1970, Culexocossa was considered a synonym of Culex aikenii (Aiken & Rowland) (Stone et al. 1959), but Belkin (1970) revalidated it along with Culex panocossa Dyar, a species not found in Argentina, and the name aikenii was relegated to nomen dubium. Culex ocossa was not listed from Argentina by Knight & Stone (1977)." (Mitchell & Darsie, 1985).

Disease relations: The species may be involved in the transmission of Western Equine Encephalitis virus (WEEV) in Chaco and Corrientes provinces (Sirivanakarn & Jakob, 1981). The WEEV, Para and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses were isolated from specimens of Culex ocossa between 1977 and 1980 in Chaco Province (Mitchell et al., 1985). However, the epidemiologic importance of Culex ocossa may be underestimated as it was considered synonymous with Culex aikenii until 1970. As a result, many virus isolations were made from specimens identified as Culex aikenii. The latest, was found naturally infected with a wild strain of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEEV), and was infected and was able to transmit the VEEV in laboratory conditions (Galindo & Grayson, 1971; Galindo, 1972; Galindo & Adames, 1973).
Immatures have been found in permanent habitats including lakes, rivers and swamp margins in forests, gardens and along the sides of roads usually with abundant floating vegetation (Pistia, Eichhornia, Salvinia, Azolla) associated with Culex delpontei and Culex pereyrai in Brazil. Adults are nocturnal and feed on humans. The blood meal identification by the precipitin test of engorged Culex ocossa indicated that these mosquitoes feed on mammals and birds.
  • STONE, A., KNIGHT, K. L., STARCKE, H. 1959. A synoptic catalog of the mosquitoes of the world (Diptera, Culicidae). Thomas Say Foundation Vol. VI, 358 p.
  • BELKIN J. N. 1970. Culex (Melanoconion) aikenii (A. & R., 1906) a nomen dubium; ocossa D. & K., 1919 and panocossa Dyar, 1923 both valid. Mosquito Systematics Newsletter 2 (2): 59-60.
  • KNIGHT, K. L., STONE, A. 1977. A catalog of the mosquitoes of the world (Diptera: Culicidae), 2nd ed. Thomas Say Foundation, Entomological Society of American 6: 1-611.
  • SIRIVANAKARN, S., JAKOB, W. L. 1981. Notes on the distribution of Culex (Melanoconion) mosquitoes in northeastern Argentina (Diptera: Culicidae). Mosquito Systematics 13 (2): 195-200.
  • 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.
  • MITCHELL, C. J., MONATH, P., SABATTINI, M. S., CROPP, T. B., DAFFNER, J. F., CALISHER, C. H., JAKOB, W. L., CHRISTENSEN, H. A. 1985b. Arbovirus investigations in Argentina, 1977-1980 II. Arthropod collections and virus isolations from argentine mosquitoes. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 34 (5): 945-955.
  • MITCHELL, C. J., MONATH, P., SABATTINI, M. S., CROPP, T. B., DAFFNER, J. F., CALISHER, C. H., JAKOB, W. L., CHRISTENSEN, H. A. 1985b. Arbovirus investigations in Argentina, 1977-1980 II. Arthropod collections and virus isolations from argentine mosquitoes. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 34 (5): 945-955.
  • MUREB-SALLUM, M. A., FORATTINI, O. P. 1996. Revision of the Spissipes Section of Culex (Melanoconion) (Diptera:Culicidae). Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 12 (3): 517-600.
  • 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.
  • MUREB-SALLUM, M. A., KOBAYASGI, K. M., FORATTINI, O. P. 2001. Description of Immature Stages of Culex ocossa Dyar & Knab, Culex delpontei Duret and Culex pereyrai Duret of the Melanoconion Subgenus (Diptera: Culicidae). Memórias de Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 96 (7): 927-943.
  • ROSSI, G. C. 2015. Annotated checklist, distribution, and taxonomic bibliography of the mosquitoes (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae) of Argentina. Check List 11 (4): 1712.
  • BANGHER, D. N. 2020. Revisión sistemática de Culex (Melanoconion) Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) en Argentina. Tesis Doctoral. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina.
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