Culicidae

Introduction

Also known as:	Mosquitoes
DO NOT CONFUSE WITH	Culicoides midges

Aeges aegypti - Wikimedia Commons

Members of the Culicidae family are found accross the globe and a attack a wide variety of different species. They holometabola and have four stages to their life cycle; egg, larva, pupa and adult.

• The most important species of veterinary importance are
  • Culex
  • Aedes
  • Anopheles

Identification

Culicidae flies like all insects have 3 pairs of legs and like all Diptera order flies have only a single set of wings and vestigal set of 'halters'.

Recognition

• Small flies 2-10mm long

• Forward pointing proboscis

• Slender body and long legs

• Narrow wings

• Veins and rear margins of wings fringed with scales

Life cycle

• Eggs laid on water
  • Either laid singly or in rafts

• Larval and pupal stages are aquatic
  • Visible hanging from the water surface

• Life cycle takes 2 weeks to several months to complete
  • Temperature dependent

Pathogenesis

• Most active at night

• Painful, irritating bites
  • Only females suck blood

• Transmit human diseases
  • Viruses such as dengue fever, encephalitis and yellow fever
  • Parasites such as malaria caused by Plasmodium and filarial nematodes which cause elephantosis (Wuchereria and Brugia)

• Transmit animal diseases
  • Viruses such as arbovirus which causes equine encephalitis and rabbit myxomatosis
  • Parasites such as the canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis and avian malaria caused by Plasmodium

Control

• Destroy breeding sites by drainage and removal of objects which collect water

• Repeat applications of insecticides
  • Synthetic pyrethroids sprayed from helicopters
  • Mineral oils applied to breeding sites

• Education

• Future control methods being developed, such as genetic engineering and biological control methods