The southern house mosquito, culex quinquefasciatus. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats. This species is found in the southern united states and is present throughout florida. In this article we will discuss about the life cycle of culex with the help of a diagram. Sequencing of culex quinquefasciatus establishes a. The vector ecology of introduced culex quinquefasciatus.
Culex quinquefasciatus say, commonly known as the southern house mosquito, is a mediumsized brown mosquito that exists throughout the tropics and the lower latitudes of temperate regions. Methods for the generation of heritable germline mutations. Culicidae mosquitoes are the primary summer vectors of wnv when there is active horizontal transmission between birds and mosquitoes, and they also may serve as overwintering reservoir hosts. The culex pipiens complex is distributed worldwide and has two species formally recognized in the complex. They are laid in rafts of about 300 eggs held, together through sticky substance for floating along. This mosquito species is also a potential vector of several arboviruses like west nile virus wnv, rift valley fever virus, avian pox and protozoa like plasmodium relictum that causes bird malaria.
Culex quinquefasciatus prefers to lay eggs in fetid water with a higher organic content than culex tarsalis. The larvae are typically found in the eutrophic water of artificial containers or manmade impoundments including open ponds, ditches and drains containing human or animal sewage. A more urban species than culex tarsalis, culex quinquefasciatus will lay eggs in a wide range of water bodies, including small containers. Biology culex quinquefasciatus is the principal vector of bancroftian filariasis and a potential vector of dirofilaria immitis.