Culiseta is a genus of mosquitoes. Most Culiseta species are cold-adapted, and only occur in warmer climates during the colder parts of the year or at higher elevations where temperatures are lower. Species found in Southern California are larger than most mosquitoes species, specifically C. inornata, C. particeps, and C. incidens. These species are found throughout the year in Southern California and feed on several vertebrate species, such as birds, livestock, rodents, reptiles, and humans.Identification of the Mosquitoes of California. Richard Meyer and Stephen Durso, Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California. 1998.Sandhu TS, Williams GW, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Population dynamics of blood-fed female mosquitoes and comparative efficacy of resting boxes in collecting them from the northwestern part of Riverside County, California. J Global Infect Dis [serial online] 2013 [cited 2013 Oct 22];5:15-8. The larvae of most species are found bogs, marshes, ponds, streams, ditches, and rock pools, but an African species occurs in tree holes ("phytotelmata"), a common eastern Palaearctic species occurs in water wells and rock pools, and several Australian species occur under ground. Little is known about the blood-feeding habits of females. Most species feed on birds and mammals, but a few feed on reptiles. Several species attack domestic animals and occasionally humans, and some species are pollinators.
Culiseta species are found throughout the world, except in South America. Two extinct species are known from the Eocene Kishenehn Formation in Montana.
Species Subgenus (Culiseta) Felt, 1904 Culiseta alaskaensis
Culiseta annulata Culiseta atlantica Culiseta bergrothi Culiseta glaphyroptera Culiseta impatiens Culiseta incidens Culiseta inornata Culiseta megaloba Culiseta niveitaeniata Culiseta particeps Culiseta subochrea
Subgenus (Allotheobaldia) Brolemann, 1919 Culiseta longiareolata
Subgenus (Austrotheobaldia) Dobrotworsky, 1954 Culiseta littleri
Subgenus (Climacura) Howard, Dyar and Knab, 1915 Culiseta antipodea Culiseta marchettei Culiseta melanura Culiseta novaezealandiae Culiseta taiwanica Culiseta tonnoiri
Subgenus (Culicella) Felt, 1904 Culiseta amurensis Culiseta atra Culiseta drummondi Culiseta fumipennis Culiseta inconspicua Culiseta litorea Culiseta minnesotae Culiseta morsitans Culiseta nipponica Culiseta ochroptera Culiseta otwayensis Culiseta sylvanensis Culiseta victoriensis Culiseta weindorferi
Subgenus (Neotheobaldia) Dobrotworsky, 1958 Culiseta frenchii Culiseta hilli
Subgenus (Theomyia) Edwards, 1930 Culiseta fraseri
Children with Uncertain Position Culiseta arenivaga Culiseta wui
Extinct species †Culiseta gedanica †Culiseta kishenehn †Culiseta lemniscata
References
External links
Culiseta melanura, black-tailed mosquito on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures website.