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Culex (Culex) Pipiens species complex
Since these species are very similar, it is important that the identification of your specimen is checked by a mosquito taxonomist. New Zealand Status:The Culex Pipiens complex has many species and all are exotic to New Zealand. Three species are included in this key and have moderate biosecurity status.
Culex australicus and Culex pipiens pallens have been intercepted in New Zealand. Culex quinquefasciatus is established in New Zealand. Vector and Disease InformationCulex (Culex) australicus Dobrotworsky & Drummond, 1953Culex australicus does not feed on humans, but Murray Valley encephalitus and Kunjin viruses have been isolated from it in the Murray Valley in southern Australia. In this area it may play a role in virus initiation and amplification (Russell 1993). Culex (Culex) pipiens pallens Coquillett, 1898Culex pipiens pallens is the principal vector of Dirofilaria immitis in southwestern Japan (Wada et al. 1989). It is also the main vector of filariasis in Henan Province, China (Xuet al. 1997). Culex (Culex) quinquefasciatus Say, 1823Culex quinquefasciatus is a natural vector of Wuchereria bancrofti, Plasmodium (avaian malaria), myxomatosis, and other diseases in some parts of the world (Holder 1999). It has been shown to be able to carry Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus in laboratory studies and MVE virus has been isolated from it in northern Western Australia. Culex quinquefasciatus has yielded an isolate of Ross River (RR) virus during an outbreak in New Caledonia, but from a number of laboratory studies in Australia it appears to be a poor and unlikely vector of MVE, Kunjin, RR and other arboviruses. It is a poor vector of dog heartworm, and human filariasis in more northern tropical regions. (Russell 1993). DistributionCulex (Culex) australicus Dobrotworsky & Drummond, 1953Australasian Biogeographic Region PRESENT; ENDEMIC.Australia New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia. PRESENT; ENDEMIC ? Culex (Culex) pipiens pallens Coquillett, 1898Australasian Biogeographic Region NOT PRESENT. Palearctic Biogeographic Region Culex (Culex) quinquefasciatus Say, 1823
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Australasian Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; INTRODUCED.
New Zealand Introduced
in the 1830's (Laird 1995), it is now found in Northland, Coromandel
Peninsula (Belkin 1968), Waikato (Belkin 1968, Laird 1990 & 1995),
Gisborne (Holder 1999), Taranaki (Weinstein et al. 1997), Hawkes Bay
(Laird 1995), Wanganui, Wellington (Holder 1999), Marlborough Sounds,
Nelson (Weinstein et al. 1997), Marlborough, Kaikoura, Buller, Mid Canterbury
(Holder 1999).
Australia New South Wales (widespread), Victoria (less common south of central highlands), South Australia, (also Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia); typically closely associated with human habitation, particularly urban (Russell 1993).
Austral Islands (Tubuai), Bougainville, Easter Island, Ellice Islands, Fiji, Loyalty Islands, Nauru, New Britain, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Norfolk Island, Northern Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Rapa Island, Samoa, Iles Wallis, Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Solomon Islands, Southern Cook Islands (Santa Cruz Islands), Tonga, Tuamotu Archipelago, Vanuatu (Banks Islands) (WRBU 2001).
Rest of the WorldCOSMOPOLITAN.
Nearctic Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC
USA (Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas).
Neotropical Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC
Antilles Islands, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman
Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica,
Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua,
Santa Dominica, Surinam, Tierra del Fuego, Trinidad, Uruguay, Venezuela,
Virgin Isles (WRBU 2001).
Afrotropical Biogeographic Region
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African
Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea
Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Yemen, Tanzania,
Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe (WRBU 2001).
Oriental Biogeographic Region
Bangladesh, Cambodia, India ( Assam), Indonesia, Japan (Amami
Island, Ogasawara Islands, Okinawa Island, Yaeyama Island), Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South China & Hainan Island, Taiwan,
Thailand, Vietnam (WRBU 2001).
Palaearctic Biogeographic Region
Iran, Japan (Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku), Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
South Korea, United Arab Emirates (WRBU 2001).
The Culex Pipiens complex is placed in pipiens, and pipiens of the Culex, as is the Pervigilans . Separation of these three species as adults is difficult and the characters used are not entirely reliable. A sub key is included to help identify specimens further. Start the Pipiens subkey»
Culex (Culex) quinquefasciatus has also been known as Culex (Culex) pipiens fatigans in the past, and now is sometimes known as Culex (Culex) pipiens quinquefasciatus in North America.
A diagnosis is the minimum set of characters and states that will separate this taxon from all others in this set of taxa.
| Diagnostic characters | State |
| Pulvilli | Present [often difficult to see] |
| Pale scales of proboscis | Widespread or in a patch, not forming a band |
| Colour of mesonotum and mesonotal scales ... | Light brown to brown with golden to yellowish scales, not strongly contrasting |
Thorax: integument light brown, with golden to yellowish scales not strongly contrasting. Legs: pulvilli present (Belkin 1962; Tanaka et al. 1979).
