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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Mosquitoes and Midges (Culicomorpha) » Mosquitoes (Culicidae) » Culicini » Culex » Culex territans

Species Culex territans

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Mosquito on Moss - Culex territans - male

Ringed mosquito - Culex territans - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))

Infraorder Culicomorpha (Mosquitoes and Midges)

Family Culicidae (Mosquitoes)

Tribe Culicini

Genus Culex

Species territans (Culex territans)

Explanation of Names

Culex territans Walker, 1856

terri - Latin for 'terror' (1)

Identification

Adult female: Scutum with middorsal acrostichal setae, occiput with narrow apressed scales, Abdominal tergites II-VII with apical bands or patches of whitish scales, extending basally across 1/2 of tergum on lateral sides of terga IV-VI, palpi 2 times length of flagellomere 4, wing cell R2 3.0 times length of vein R2+3.

Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory (2)

Range

Most of N. Amer., except Arizona, New Mexico, Newfoundland

Habitat

Vegetation choked marshes, ditches, containers. Seems to be associated with Duckweed (Lemna spp.)

Season

Flies May-Novemember

Food

Hosts are usually ectotherms (cold-blooded), amphibians reptiles etc. Conflicting reports describe mammalian feeding.

Life Cycle

Females overwinter as mated adults, emerging in spring to bloodfeed.

Remarks

Has been found infected with West Nile Virus, but it is unknown whether it plays a role in natural transmission cycles.

Internet References

Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory - FMEL(2)

Rutgers - Wayne J. Crans

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.

2.	Identification guide to common mosquitoes of Florida, by M.M. Cutwa-Francis & G.F. O'Meara

Contributed by Sean McCann on 2 July, 2006 - 4:53pm
Additional contributions by Omar Fahmy, Mike Quinn
Last updated 30 January, 2014 - 6:29pm

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