Numbers
3 species in North America (
nearctica.com)
Size
Adult body length about 2.5-3 mm
Identification
Larva
- head brown, longer than wide, and with 4 stout spines on top
- abdominal segment VIII has plate with row of teeth
Adult
- Tiny size
- blunt abdomen
- proboscis widens distally
- iridescent blue scales on at least some part of thorax
Range
North Dakota to southwestern Quebec, south to Florida, west to Texas; one species (anhydor) distributed mostly in the southwest, from Arkansas and Texas to California
See distribution maps of
anhydor, lowii, sapphirina (Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Maryland)
Habitat
Larvae develop in permanent pools with emergent and floating aquatic vegetation; adults on nearby vegetation, and are attracted to light
Food
Females are not known to bite humans, and may be autogenous in the wild, although some are believed to feed on reptiles and frogs
Life Cycle
Multivoltine; adult females overwinter in sheltered habitats; eggs laid in rafts on water surface
Remarks
Thanks to Sean McCann for providing links and information on this genus.
Internet References
combined species distribution map plus adult image and other info (Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Maryland)
table of key features separating adult
U. sapphirina and
lowii (U. of Florida)
larval description of
U. sapphirina plus distribution, seasonality, habitat, biology (Wayne Crans, Rutgers U., New Jersey)
adult photo of
U. sapphirina [by Kirby Foley] plus adult illustration [by Stanley Carpenter and Walter LaCasse], description, biology (Virginia Mosquito Control Association)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 6 December, 2005 - 4:34pm
Additional contributions by
Omar FahmyLast updated 23 April, 2007 - 9:03am
