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Anopheles sp.
This very beautiful Mosquito is about 5 mm in length with white scales on the head and thorax and patterned wings. The female was probing at the cloth vigorously. Family Culicidae. These mosquitoes have the long palpi of the Anophelines. The first 3 pictures are of the female, the last 3 pictures are of the male. On the easiest ways to separate female mosquitos (blood-sucking) from males (nectar feeding only) is by the antennae. Males have fluffy antennae, while females have simple moniliform antennae. The male was spotted on 13 May 2013 in the same place.
Came to an ultraviolet light (or me?) in the garden, San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.
Anopheles albimanus and A. pseudopuntipennis occur in Southern Mexico and are important vectors of malaria. This one does not exactly match either species. Malaria is not common at the high altitude of San Cristobal, however Anopheline mosquitos do occur and thrive at high altitudes. http://www.facmed.unam.mx/deptos/microbi.... http://www.infectionlandscapes.org/2011/....
Spotted on Apr 27, 2013
Submitted on Apr 29, 2013
8 Comments
Ah well done!! Great to have them both.
Found the male! Added pictures and both sexes are now available for comparison.
I think you are right about Anopheles, Argy.
Maybe Anopheles sp. ? A.gambiae ?
Yes Argy, I know what you mean. I'll keep looking.
Patterns on the wings, no banding on legs, rear legs curved down are some factors that made me wonder. They are so closely related. Nice clear shots Lauren.
I think it really is a mosquito, maybe of the genus Toxorhynchites. This genus has the largest mosquitos known and are sometimes called Elephant Mosquitos. If it is one of these, then the females do not feed on blood. They are one of the few mosquitos that feed on sap, nectar and honeydew. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxorhynchi....
Midge?