Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Aedes vexans?

Posted by Tony Irwin on 21-07-2019 14:10
#2

That's an interesting question - whether a dog treated for ticks and fleas would also kill a mosquito that bit it? Possibly, though of course a mosquito is on the dog for less time than other ectoparasites.
I don't think this is Aedes vexans - the pale rings on the hind tarsus are too wide. It could be Ochlerotatus annulipes, but females in poor condition are very difficult to identify. Aedes (and Ochlerotatus) can be easily distinguished from Culex in that they have a tapered abdomen, with a prominent ovipositor. In Culex (and Culiseta and Coquillettidia), the abdomen has a blunt, rounded end. Most Culex lack pale rings on the tarsi, a feature shared by very few Culiseta and Coquillettidia.
If you want to find Culex for filming, look for old containers of leafy water in shady parts of a garden. The distinctive egg rafts of Culex will indicate their presence. Usually there will be eggs, larvae, pupae and adults available.