''Coquillettidia'' is a mosquito
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
erected by
entomologist Harrison Gray Dyar Jr.
Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. (February 14, 1866 – January 21, 1929) was an American entomologist. Dyar's Law, a pattern of geometric progression in the growth of insect parts, is named after him. He was also noted for eccentric pursuits which includ ...
in 1904 based primarily on unique features of its "peculiar"
male genitalia
Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization.
A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...
.
[Harrison G. Dyar. 1904. Remarks on Genitalic Genera in the Culicidae. '']Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
''Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of entomology published by the Entomological Society of Washington. The journal was established in 1886 and is currently published four times per year ...
'', VII(1): 42-49; 47; http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/038400-1.pdf . The
specific epithet honors Dyar's colleague
Daniel William Coquillett
Daniel William Coquillett (23 January 1856, Pleasant Valley, Ill. – 7 July 1911 Atlantic City, New Jersey) was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote a revision of the dipterous family Therevidae and many other scientifi ...
.
The genus comprises three
subgenera, ''Austromansonia'', ''Coquillettidia'', and ''Rhynochotaenia'', and 57 species,
[Thomas V. Gaffigan, Richard C. Wilkerson, James E. Pecor, Judith A. Stoffer and Thomas Anderson. 2016. "Coquillettidia" in ''Systematic Catalog of Culicidae'', ]Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit
The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit ("WRBU") is a US Army organization that conducts laboratory and field research on the systematics of medically important arthropods in support of epidemiological investigations and disease prevention and contr ...
, http://www.wrbu.org/generapages/coquillettidia.htm , accessed 13 Feb 2016. of which ''
Coquillettidia perturbans'' is perhaps the best known.
Bionomics
Not all species have been well documented, but females of some are known to feed primarily on
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s but will also bite
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
.
The females bite primarily at night, and are most active during the early part of the night. They occasionally attack humans during daylight hours in shady places when their habitat is entered.
Adult females lay their eggs on the surface of water in areas of
emergent vegetation to which hatchling larvae attach themselves with a modified siphon, on the roots or submerged stems, and where they remain throughout development; pupae also attach themselves the plants by means of a modified respiratory trumpet, and remain there until the adult is ready to emerge.
Species in the subgenus ''Coquillettidia'' are primarily
Afrotropical, but some are found in the
Oriental and
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
n Regions, one occurs in
North America and two occur in the
Palearctic region. ''Austromansonia'' occurs only in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, while species of subgenus ''Rhynchotaenia'' are confined to the
Neotropical Region
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biogeo ...
.
Medical importance
''Coquillettidia perturbans'' is considered a vector of
eastern equine encephalitis; other species are secondary or suspected vectors of ''
Brugia malayi
''Brugia malayi'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), one of the three causative agents of lymphatic filariasis in humans. Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a condition characterized by swelling of the lower ...
'' the cause of
lymphatic filariasis
Lymphatic filariasis is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms. Usually acquired in childhood, it is a leading cause of permanent disability worldwide. While most cases have no symptoms, some people develop a syndrome ...
, and
Rift Valley fever.
See also
*
Mosquito control
Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spr ...
References
External links
Species in subgenus ''Austromansonia''at the
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit
The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit ("WRBU") is a US Army organization that conducts laboratory and field research on the systematics of medically important arthropods in support of epidemiological investigations and disease prevention and contr ...
Species in subgenus ''Coquillettidia''at the
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit
The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit ("WRBU") is a US Army organization that conducts laboratory and field research on the systematics of medically important arthropods in support of epidemiological investigations and disease prevention and contr ...
Species in subgenus ''Rhynchotaenia''at the
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit
The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit ("WRBU") is a US Army organization that conducts laboratory and field research on the systematics of medically important arthropods in support of epidemiological investigations and disease prevention and contr ...
Mosquito genera
Taxa named by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr.
{{Culicidae-stub