Facts about Toxorhynchites Mosquitos, "Scientific name for Toxorhynchites Mosquito is Toxorhynchites speciosus".
Habitat and geographical distribution of Toxorhynchites mosquito
The Toxorhynchites (tox-o-rine-ky-tees) mosquito is a cosmopolitan genus also known as the elephant mosquito, and belongs to the tribe Toxorhynchitini of the subfamily Culicinae. The genus is the largest known species consisting of 90 species of mosquitoes categorized in four subgenera. The Toxorhynchites mosquito is generally confined to tropical areas where it naturally inhabits forested areas. A few of its species are found in the eastern parts of North America and Asia while others are found in the habitat ranges of Samoa and Fiji in the South Pacific. The larvae can be found in water in tree holes, artificial receptacles, and bases of bromeliads, bamboo stem and rodent–eaten coconut husks that hold water. Human discarded items such as buckets, cans and old tires are known larval habitats.
Physical characteristics of Toxorhynchites Mosquito
The Toxorhynchites mosquito is the largest mosquito. It is easily distinguishable from other genera. The wings may exceed 3/8 inches (12 mm) with body length being 3/16 inches (7 mm) or even more. The Toxorhynchites Mosquito has strongly bent proboscis. The genus has a posterior abdominal segment with lateral scale-tufts and iridescent scales, brightly colored and covers the whole body. The Toxorhynchites Mosquitos scutellum is evenly rounded and the posterior end of the wings is emarginated on the opposite side of the end of vein CuA (cubitus anterior). The Toxorhynchites Mosquitos abdominal setae can be found in groups of three to six on ordinary sclerites. However, both the pecten and comb are absent.
Feeding of Toxorhynchites Mosquito
The Toxorhynchites mosquito is one of the few known mosquito types that do not consume blood. The adult Toxorhynchites Mosquito are very active during the day and they feed on nectar, which helps in egg production. Apart from nectar, the genus also feeds on carbohydrates rich materials like saps or honeydew and juices from damaged plants, fruits and refuse. The Toxorhynchites larvae of all the species are very predacious and feed on fat and protein rich diet of some aquatic animals including the Toxorhynchites Mosquito larvae. The larvae can exhibit cannibalism when a suitable prey is not present.
Reproduction of Toxorhynchites Mosquito
Mating in Toxorhynchites mosquito occurs primarily in swamps and it happens during the early evening. The females are multivoltine and lay eggs on the surface of water in mass or as single unit. The male Toxorhynchites Mosquito usually harmonizes its wing beat with the female ones before mating commences as a form of species recognition. The copulation process is initiated in flight as the female and male species meet within the swamp.
Once the male Toxorhynchites Mosquito has grasped the receptive female, it repositions itself such that the reproductive organs can meet. After commencing of the coitus, the male Toxorhynchites Mosquitos move into a position end-to-end with the female as the pair falls. The eggs can take two days to hatch to give rise to larvae. The development of the larvae can be complete in four to ten days under favorable summer conditions.
The Toxorhynchites Mosquitos larvae are usually very large in size and their colorization ranges from pink to purple and red. The larvae also have mouth brushes consisting of ten or fewer flattened, thick filaments, which they use to grasp prey. The larvae possess a head capsule with a pair of mandibles and conspicuous hairs on both side of the abdomen.
Danger and control of Toxorhynchites Mosquito
The Toxorhynchites Mosquitos are harmless to humans. However, they are susceptible to insecticides, and care should be taken in timing the application of insecticide sprays and the release of Toxorhynchites mosquitoes. "Scientific name for Masquito is Culicidae".