Lutzia fuscana is a mosquito that is predatory in its larval stages.Thomas V. Gaffigan, Richard C. Wilkerson, James E. Pecor, Judith A. Stoffer and Thomas Anderson. 2016. "Lutzia » Metalutzia » fuscana (Wiedemann)" in Systematic Catalog of Culicidae, Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/taxon_descr.aspx?ID=21781, accessed 27 Mar 2016. It has been investigated as a possible biological control agent, showing some promise where vector species share limited or specific breeding habitat.Mihir Kumar Pramanik and Gautam Aditya. 2009. Immatures of Lutzia fuscana (Wiedemann, 1820) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Rice Fields: Implications for Biological Control of Vector Mosquitoes. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2(3):29-34; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261510733_Immatures_of_Lutzia_fuscana_Wiedemann_1820_Diptera_Culicidae_in_Rice_Fields_Implications_for_Biological_Control_of_Vector_Mosquitoes. They are natural predators of disease causing mosquito larva such as Aedes aegypti, Anopheles subpictus, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus.
Distribution It is found in China, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka
Bionomics
Immature forms of Lutzia fuscana have been collected from swamps, marshes, bogs, rice fields, ditches, grassy pools, rock and flood pools, stream pools and margins, tree holes and stump holes, crab holes, artificial containers, and tire depressions.Rattanarithikul R, Harrison BA, Panthusiri P, et al. 2005. Illustrated keys to the mosquitoes of Thailand 1. Background; Geographic Distribution; Lists of Genera, Subgenera, and Species; and a Key to the Genera. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 36(Supplement 1): 1-80; http://www.tm.mahidol.ac.th/seameo/journal_36_1_2005_spp.html.
In the laboratory, Lutzia fuscana larvae demonstrated a feeding preference for Aedes aegypti larvae, with Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae of lower preference, consuming an average of 5-19 larvae per day.
The species has been found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mariana Islands, Micronesia (Wake Island), Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor, and Vietnam.
Medical importance
Newly emerged adults of Lutzia fuscana fed on canaries infected with Plasmodium cathemerium and P. capisirina were found to be positive for plasmodia at 6 & 1/2 to 8 & 1/2-days post-infection.Andres M. Nono. 1932. Avian Malaria Studies, VI. Susceptibility of Lutzia fuscana (Wiedemann) Edwards to Avian Malaria. Philippine Journal of Science, 49(2): 225-229; http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19331000020.html;jsessionid=C248D95A93AB9AD3A4FB36D9704E8DBA.
References
External links Prey and Feeding Behavior of Larval Culex (Lutzia) fuscanus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Shantou, Guangdong Province, China Anopheles indefinitus and Culex fuscanus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Saipan. Culex fuscanus (mosquito) A microsporidium of the predacious mosquito Culex fuscanus