Species info
Classification > Subfamily Culicinae > Tribe Culicini > Genus Culex > Subgenus Microculex
Culex davisi Kumm, 1933
Prothorax of the larva of Culex davisi (Photo: Stein et al. 2018). 1-7-P: setae 1-7 of the prothorax.
Prothorax of the larva of Culex davisi (Photo: Stein et al. 2018). 1-7-P: setae 1-7 of the prothorax.
Prothorax of the larva of Culex davisi (Photo: Stein et al. 2018). 1-7-P: setae 1-7 of the prothorax.
Larval siphon of Culex davisi (Photo: Stein et al. 2018).
Larval siphon of Culex davisi (Photo: Stein et al. 2018).
Dorsal view of scutum of Culex davisi (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Dorsal view of scutum of Culex davisi (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Female and male genitalia structures of Culex davisi. A. Female; B. Male: 1. detail of the subapical lobe; 2. detail of the tergum IX. Ce = cercus; GC = gonocoxite; Gs = gonostylus; I = insula; PGL = postgenital lobe; SL = subapical lobe; UVL = upper vaginal lip; IX-Te = tergum IX (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Female and male genitalia structures of Culex davisi. A. Female; B. Male: 1. detail of the subapical lobe; 2. detail of the tergum IX. Ce = cercus; GC = gonocoxite; Gs = gonostylus; I = insula; PGL = postgenital lobe; SL = subapical lobe; UVL = upper vaginal lip; IX-Te = tergum IX (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Pupa of Culex davisi. A. Cephalothorax; B. Metanotum and abdomen. GL = genital lobe, Mtn = metanotum, Pa = paddle, T = trumpet, I–VIII = abdominal segments (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Pupa of Culex davisi. A. Cephalothorax; B. Metanotum and abdomen. GL = genital lobe, Mtn = metanotum, Pa = paddle, T = trumpet, I–VIII = abdominal segments (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Larva of Culex davisi. A. Head; B. Thorax and abdominal segments I–VI; C. Abdominal segments VII–X. a = antenna, APP = anal papillae, CS = comb scales, Dm = dorsomentum, M = mesothorax, P = prothorax, PS = pecten spine, S = siphon, T = metathorax, I–X = abdominal segments (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Larva of Culex davisi. A. Head; B. Thorax and abdominal segments I–VI; C. Abdominal segments VII–X. a = antenna, APP = anal papillae, CS = comb scales, Dm = dorsomentum, M = mesothorax, P = prothorax, PS = pecten spine, S = siphon, T = metathorax, I–X = abdominal segments (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
 
Geographic distribution
Distribution
Record
  • Argentina
    • Chaco
    • Corrientes
    • Formosa
Other distribution
Brazil, Paraguay
 
Synonyms
  • Sin registros/no records .
Observations
Disease relations: unknown.
Habitat and breeding sites
The immature stages of Culex davisi were collected from bromeliads, Aechmea lindenii in Brazil and Aechmea miniata in northeastern provinces of Argentina (Alvarez et al. 2024). They were found with larvae of Toxorhynchites separatus, Ochlerotatus terrens, Haemagogus spegazzinii, Toxorhynchites theobaldi, Wyeomyia muehlensi, and Wyeomyia (Phoniomyia) sp. Females prefer to feed on birds. Stein et al. (2011, 2013) did not capture specimens of Microculex on chicken, rabbit or human bait, despite a large number of immature specimens found in nearby larval habitats. Lourenço-de-Oliveira & Heyden (1986) had the same results using horse, cow, sheep, and frog bait and classified these species as hematophagous on ectothermal animals.
Links
References
  • KUMM, H. W. 1933. Mosquitoes breeding in bromeliads, at Bahía, Brazil. Bulletin of Entomological Research. 23(4): 561-575
  • TORALES, G. J., HACK, W. H., TURN, B. 1972. Criaderos de culícidos en bromeliaceas de NW de Corrientes. Acta Zoológica Lilloana 29: 293-308.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • DE ASSUMPÇÃO, I. C. 2012. Taxonomia das espécies de Culex (Microculex) Theobald, 1907 (Diptera, Culicidae) e Chave de identificação para os machos que ocorrem em bromélias. Tesis de Maestría. Universidad Federal de Paraná. Programa de Pos graduación en Entomología
  • 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., STEIN, M. 2017. Morphological redescription of Culex (Microculex) davisi and Cx. (Mcx.) imitator (Diptera: Culicidae) including structures and stages not previously described. Zootaxa 4347 (1): 56-70.
  • STEIN, M., ALVAREZ, C. N., ALONSO, A. N., BANGHER, D. N., WILLENER, J. A., CAMPOS, R. E. 2018. New records of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) found in phytotelmata in Northern Argentina. Zootaxa 4399 (1): 87-100.
  • ALVAREZ, C. N., CAMPOS, R. E., STEIN, M. 2024. Phytotelmata in native and exotic plants and their mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) assemblages: Diversity and first records of plant-mosquito associations in a subtropical region of Argentina. Ecología Austral 34: 496-511. https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.24.34.3.0.2373.
Creative Commons License Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.