What are three traits that are unique to the Culex pipiens Molestus?
molestus has the ability to produce eggs without a vertebrate bloodmeal (autogeny); can mate in confined spaces (stenogamy); foregoes winter diapause; occupies subterranean environments with limited surface access; and feeds readily on mammals, including humans (Mattingly 1952, Vinogradova 2000).
What is Culex complex?
Culex pipiens is a polytypic species that is member of a species complex (or assemblage) and has a sibling species. pipiens is considered to be a plastic species with two forms (or biotypes) and their hybrids in Europe: the pipiens form and the molestus form. Culex torrentium is regarded to be a sibling species of Cx.
Does Culex mosquito cause malaria?
Human malaria is known to be transmitted strictly by anopheline mosquitoes. Culicine mosquitoes such as Aedes spp. and Culex spp. are important vectors of other human pathogens including viruses and filarial worms, but have never been observed to transmit mammalian malarias.
Are Culex pipiens and Culex Molestus the same species?
It was first described as a distinct species from Egyptian specimens by the biologist Peter Forsskål (1732–1763). He named this mosquito Culex molestus due to its voracious biting, but later biologists renamed it Culex pipiens f. pipiens” and should not be considered a distinct species.
What is the difference between Culex and Anopheles mosquito?
Anopheles can be distinguished from Culex by observing their resting posture and wings. Anopheles rests with its body and proboscis making an angle to the surface while Culex rests with its body parallel to the surface but proboscis making an angle to the surface. Rest with body at an angle to the surface.
What makes the Culex pipiens mosquito species a highly effective vector for West Nile virus?
Mosquitoes within the Culex pipiens complex have been implicated as major vectors of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America due to their seasonal abundance, vector competence and high field infection rates.
What does Culex cause?
Culex. Culex, a large group of mosquitoes also known as common house mosquitoes, are the principal vectors that spread the viruses that cause West Nile fever, St. Louis encephalitis, and Japanese encephalitis, as well as viral diseases of birds and horses.