Species info
Classification > Subfamily Culicinae > Tribe Culicini > Genus Culex > Subgenus Microculex
Culex imitator Theobald, 1903
Female of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Female of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Female of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Hindleg of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Hindleg of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Larva of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Larva of Culex imitator (Photo: Linares et al. 2016).
Dorsal view of scutum of Culex imitator (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Dorsal view of scutum of Culex imitator (Photo: Bangher & Stein, 2017).
Female and male genitalia structures of Culex imitator. 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 imitator. 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 imitator. 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 imitator. 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 imitator. A, head. B, thorax and abdominal segments I–VI. C, abdominal segments VII–X. a = antenna; APP = anal papilla; CS = comb scale; Dm = dorsomentum; M = mesothorax; P = prothorax; PS = pecten spine; S = siphon; T = metathorax; I–X= abdominal segments.
Larva of Culex imitator. A, head. B, thorax and abdominal segments I–VI. C, abdominal segments VII–X. a = antenna; APP = anal papilla; CS = comb scale; Dm = dorsomentum; M = mesothorax; P = prothorax; PS = pecten spine; S = siphon; T = metathorax; I–X= abdominal segments.
Bromeliads where immature stages of Culex imitator develop (Photo: M. Laurito).
Bromeliads where immature stages of Culex imitator develop (Photo: M. Laurito).
Axils of Aechmea distichantha (Bromeliaceae), breeding site of Culex imitator (Photo: R. E. Campos)
Axils of Aechmea distichantha (Bromeliaceae), breeding site of Culex imitator (Photo: R. E. Campos)
 
Geographic distribution
Distribution
Record
  • Argentina
    • Buenos Aires
    • Chaco
    • Corrientes
    • Formosa
    • Jujuy
    • Misiones
    • Salta
    • Santa Fe
    • Tucumán
Record
  • Uruguay
Other distribution
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
 
Synonyms
  • argenteoumbrosus Theobald
  • daumasturus Dyar and Knab
  • vector Dyar and Knab
Observations
Disease relations: unknown.
Habitat and breeding sites
Larvae were collected from Tillandsia australis and Aechmea distichantha at ground level and at three meters high on trees in shaded environments and from Aechmea lindenii in Brazil and Alocasia macrorrhiza in northeastern provinces of Argentina (Alvarez et al. 2024). They were also collected from bromeliads 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • TORALES, G. J., HACK, W. H., TURN, B. 1972. Criaderos de culícidos en bromeliaceas de NW de Corrientes. Acta Zoológica Lilloana 29: 293-308.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • LINARES, M. A., LAURITO, M., VISINTIN, A. M., ROSSI, G. C., STEIN, M., ALMIRÓN, W. R. 2016. New mosquito records (Diptera: Culicidae) from northwestern Argentina. Check List 12 (4): art 1944
  • 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.
  • VEGGIANI AYBAR, C. A., ROSSI, G. C. 2017. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the meridional patch of the subtropical mountainous rainforest of Argentina: Update fauna and geographical distribution. Check List 13(2): 2102- doi: https://doi.org/10.15560/13.2.2102
  • 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.
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