n., pl., -li·ces (-lĭ-sēz').
Any of various mosquitoes of the genus Culex, which includes the common house mosquito (C. pipiens).
[Latin, gnat.]
culex
Dictionary:
cu·lex (kyū'lĕks') 
|
n., pl., -li·ces (-lĭ-sēz').
Any of various mosquitoes of the genus Culex, which includes the common house mosquito (C. pipiens).
| 5min Related Video: culex |
| Classical Literature Companion: Culex |
Culex (‘gnat’), Latin poem in hexameters doubtfully attributed to Virgil (see APPENDIX VIRGILIANA).
| Veterinary Dictionary: Culex |
A genus of mosquitoes found throughout the world; cause insect worry and many species transmit various infectious agents, e.g. microfilariae, apicomplexan parasites and viruses, such as those of Japanese encephalitis and equine encephalomyelitis.
- C. pipiens — transmits the virus of fowlpox.
- C. pipiens quinquefasciatus — a serious pest of poultry and carrier of a number of poultry diseases.
- C. tarsalis — transmits western equine encephalomyelitis.
- C. tritaeniohynchus — transmits Japanese encephalitis virus.
| Wikipedia: Culex |
For other uses, see Culex (disambiguation).
| Culex | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Culex sp | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Culicidae |
| Genus: | Culex Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Species | |
|
C. annulirostris |
|
| Diversity | |
| 1216 species | |
Culex is a genus of mosquito, and is important in that several species serve as vectors of important diseases, such as West Nile virus, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis and avian malaria.
The adult mosquito can measure from 4–10 mm (0.16–0.4 in.), and morphologically has the three body parts common to insects: head, thorax, and abdomen. As a fly, it has one pair of wings.
Contents |
Etymology
Carl Linnaeus used the Latin term for midge or gnat, culex, as the name of this taxon.[1]
Life cycle
The developmental cycle takes two weeks and is by complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid singularly or in batches, depending on the species. Eggs will only hatch in the presence of water. During the larval stage the mosquito lives in water and feeds on organic matter and plants, then develops into a pupa. The pupa is comma-shaped and also lives in water. It does not feed and becomes an adult after one or two days.
Diversity
See also: List of Culex species
There are a large number of Culex species. In Panama alone, 88 species were described by 1955.
Subgenera
- Acalleomyia
- Acallyntrum
- Aedinus
- Afroculex
- Allimanta
- Anoedioporpa
- Barraudius
- Belkinomyia
- Carrollia
- Culex
- Culiciomyia
- Eumelanomyia
- Kitzmilleria
- Lasiosiphon
- Lophoceraomyia
- Maillotia
- Melanoconion
- Micraedes
- Microculex
- Neoculex
- Oculeomyia
- Phenacomyia
- Sirivanakarnius
- Tinolestes
References
- ^ Culex at dictionary.com.
Further reading
- Galindo P, Blanton FS (1955). "An annotated list of the Culex of Panama (Diptera, Culicidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 57 (2): 68–74. http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/pdfs/045800-1.PDF. — with links to publications
External links
- Systematic Catalog of the Culicidae: List of Culex species
- VectorBase homepage for Culex pipiens (genome browser, downloads and more)
- Culex (Culex) nigripalpus Theobald on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- Culex quinquefasciatus Say, southern house mosquito on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- Culex pipiens at MetaPathogen: facts, life cycle
- Mosquito Chapter in the National Public Health Pesticide Applicator Training Manual
 |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Classical Literature Companion. The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Copyright © 1993, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Culex". Read more |
Related answers
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- Which disease does culex mosquito spread?
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Mentioned in
- culicine
- culiciform
- Japanese encephalitis (medicine)
- Western equine encephalitis (medicine)
- Saint Louis encephalitis (viral encephalitis)
- West Nile virus
- West Nile encephalomyelitis
- gnat
- mosquito
- Patrick Manson (English biologist)
- Dirofilaria
- List of Culex species
- Appendix Virgiliana
- Carlos Finlay
