''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the largest known species of mosquito, at up to in length and in wingspan. It is among the many kinds of mosquito that do not consume blood. The adults subsist on carbohydrate-rich materials, such as honeydew, or saps and juices from damaged plants, refuse, fruit, and

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

. Mating in mid-air, males and females synchronize their wing beats to the same frequency. Eggs are deposited by flinging them onto water surfaces while hovering. They are either white or yellow in color, with an incubation period of 40–60 hours depending on the temperature. The older the female mosquito, the less likely the eggs will be healthy. In contrast to blood-sucking species of mosquitoes, their larvae prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes and similar nektonic prey, making ''Toxorhynchites'' beneficial to humans. Living on this protein- and fat-rich diet, they have no need to risk their lives sucking blood in adulthood, having already accumulated the necessary materials for

oogenesis Oogenesis, ovogenesis, or oögenesis is the differentiation of the ovum (egg cell) into a cell competent to further develop when fertilized. It is developed from the primary oocyte by maturation. Oogenesis is initiated in the embryonic stage. O ...

and vitellogenesis. The larvae of one jungle variety, ''

Toxorhynchites splendens ''Toxorhynchites (Toxorhynchites) splendens'' is a species of non-hematophagous (not blood-feeding) mosquito belonging to the genus ''Toxorhynchites''. It is widely used as a predator to control dengue mosquitoes. Distribution It shows nearly a ...

'', consume larvae of other mosquito species occurring in tree crevices, particularly '' Aedes aegypti''. Environmental scientists have suggested that ''Toxorhynchites'' mosquitoes be introduced to areas outside their natural range in order to fight

dengue fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

. This has been practiced historically, but errors have been made. For example, when intending to introduce ''T. splendens'' to new areas, scientists actually introduced ''T. amboinensis''. Also an extinct species '' T. mexicanus'' is known from Miocene aged

Mexican Amber Mexican amber, also known as Chiapas Amber is amber found in Mexico, created during the Early Miocene and middle Miocene epochs of the Cenozoic Era in southwestern North America. As with other ambers, a wide variety of taxa have been found as inc ...

Species

The genus ''Toxorhynchites'' is divided into 4 subgenera and contains 90 species also included 1 extinct species: *''

Toxorhynchites bambusicola ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the larges ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites brevipalpis ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the larges ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites christophi'' *''

Toxorhynchites grandiosus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites guadeloupensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites haemorrhoidalis'' *'' Toxorhynchites hexacis'' *'' Toxorhynchites mariae'' *''

Toxorhynchites minimus ''Toxorhynchites minimus'' is a species of zoophilic mosquito belonging to the genus ''Toxorhynchites''. It is found in India, Sri Lanka Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Sumatra. When under mass rearing conditions, the larvae show cannibalis ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites moctezuma ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the la ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites portoricensis'' *''

Toxorhynchites purpureus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of Diurnality, diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found Cosmopolitan distribution, worldwide between about 35th parallel north, 35° north and 35th par ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites pusillus'' *''

Toxorhynchites rajah ''Toxorhynchites rajah'' is a species of mosquito in the genus '' Toxorhynchites''. It is endemic to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. In its larval stage, ''T. rajah'' is found exclusively in the pitchers of ''Nepenthes rajah'' (hence the name), a spec ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites rutilus ''Toxorhynchites rutilus'', known generally as the elephant mosquito or treehole predatory mosquito, is a species of mosquito in the family Culicidae. They are generalist predators, with common prey being microcrustaceans, rotifers, and other h ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites solstitialis'' *''

Toxorhynchites speciosus ''Toxorhynchites speciosus'' is a mosquito species in the genus ''Toxorhynchites'' found in Australia. ''Toxorhynchites'' larvae, a mosquito genus that does not suck blood, feed upon other mosquito larvae and are often found with tiger mosquit ...

'' *''

'' *'' Toxorhynchites theobaldi'' *'' Toxorhynchites trichopygus'' *''

Toxorhynchites violaceus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites inornatus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the la ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites acaudatus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites aurifluus'' *''

Toxorhynchites bickleyi ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites funestus'' *'' Toxorhynchites gigantulus'' *'' Toxorhynchites gravelyi'' *'' Toxorhynchites klossi'' *'' Toxorhynchites leicesteri'' *''

Toxorhynchites magnificus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the la ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites manopi'' *'' Toxorhynchites metallicus'' *'' Toxorhynchites nigripes'' *'' Toxorhynchites amboinensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites kamoisi'' *''

'' *'' Toxorhynchites longgianeolata'' *'' Toxorhynchites lewisi'' *'' Toxorhynchites madagascarensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites manicatus'' *'' Toxorhynchites nairobiensi'' *'' Toxorhynchites nepenthicola'' *''

Toxorhynchites nigeriensis ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the la ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites okinawensis ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the la ...

Toxorhynchites capelai ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *''

Toxorhynchites camaronis ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the large ...

'' *'' Toxorhynchites brunhesi'' *'' Toxorhynchites bengalensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites ater'' *'' Toxorhynchites aeneus'' *'' Toxorhynchites albipes'' *'' Toxorhynchites dundo'' *'' Toxorhynchites lutescens'' *'' Toxorhynchites macaensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites macaensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites zairensis'' *'' Toxorhynchites virdibasis'' *'' Toxorhynchites kempi'' *'' Toxorhynchites quasiferox'' *'' Toxorhynchites lemuriae'' *'' Toxorhynchites nepenthis'' *'' Toxorhynchites angolensis'' *''

Toxorhynchites mexicanus ''Toxorhynchites'', also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the larges ...

'' †

References

External links

''Toxorhynchites''
at the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit
Video showing larvae of ''Toxorhynchites rutilus'' feeding on other mosquito larvae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q137785 Mosquito genera Taxa named by Frederick Vincent Theobald