Culex (Culex) gelidus  Theobald, 1901

It is important that the identification of your specimen is checked by a mosquito taxonomist. 

New Zealand Status: Not Present

A native of South East Asia, Culex gelidus has invaded northeastern tropical Australia, but is probably a low to moderate biosecurity threat to New Zealand.

Vector and Disease Information

Culex gelidus is probably one of the most important vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus in South East Asia. It is also known to be naturally infected to a low level with Brugia malayi in Sri Lanka and Wuchereria bancrofti in India (Sirivanakarn 1976).

Distribution

Australasian Biogeographic Region
NOT PRESENT, INTERCEPTED.
New Zealand (MAF 2003).

NOT PRESENT.
South Pacific.

PRESENT, INTRODUCED.
Australia - Northern Territory (Katherine, Batchelor, Darwin, ?Alice Springs), Queensland (Brisbane, Makay, Cairns, ?Daintree) (Whelan et al. 2000).

PRESENT; ENDEMIC
Indonesia (West Papua) (Lee et al. 1989).

Oriental Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (Hainan Island) (Sirivanakarn 1976), India (Assam) (Malhotra & Mahanta 1994), Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar (Sirivanakarn 1976), Nepal (Darsie & Pradhan 1990), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam (WRBU 2001)

Taxonomic Position

Culex gelidus is placed in Group sitiens, and subgroup gelidus of the subgenus Culex. 

Diagnosis

A diagnosis is the minimum set of characters and states that will separate this taxon from all others in this set of taxa.

Characteristic Features

Small to medium-sized mosquito, most clearly marked with white scales on the vertex of the head and the front 70% of the scutum (Sirivanakarn 1976).