INTRODUCTION TO IDENTIFICATION

OF MOSQUITOES

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN
ANOPHELINE AND CULICINE
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Diptera
Family Culicidae
Subfamily Culicinae
Genus Aedes
Genus Culex
Genus Armigeres
Genus Mansonia
Subfamily Anophelinae
Genus Anopheles
Subfamily Toxoryhnchitinae
Genus Toxorhynchites
Mosquito Life Stage: EGG

Egg

Laid singly Laid in groups

Laid in cluster under

Laid in rafts with
With floats Without floats the leaves of water
corolla
Anopheles Aedes plants
Culex
Mansonia
Mosquito Life Stage: LARVA
Mosquito Life Stage: LARVA

Anopheles

Aedes Culex Mansonia

LARVA
Distinguishing Anophelines from Culicines

Larva

Larva without siphon

Larva with siphon
Rest parallel to the surface
Hangs down from the water surface
Anopheles
Larva with siphon Larva without siphon
Anopheles
 Tergal plates
present

Palmate hairs
present

respiratory siphon
present respiratory
siphon absent

Culicinae Anophelinae
LARVA
Distinguishing Anophelines from Culicines

Larva

Larva without siphon

Larva with siphon
Rest parallel to the surface
Hangs down from the water surface
Anopheles

With pecten teeth Without pecten teeth

Siphon with pecten teeth Siphon without pecten teeth
LARVA
Distinguishing Anophelines from Culicines

Larva

Larva without siphon

Larva with siphon
Rest parallel to the surface
Hangs down from the water surface
Anopheles

With pecten teeth Without pecten teeth

1 pair sub-ventral
ventral tuft Several pairs sub-
of hair ventral tuft of hair
Aedes Culex
Siphon with 1 pair sub- Siphon with several pairs
ventral tuft of hair sub-ventral tuft of hair
Aedes Culex
 LARVA
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
 LARVA
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
LARVA
Distinguishing Anophelines from Culicines

Larva

Larva without siphon

Larva with siphon
Rest parallel to the surface
Hangs down from the water surface
Anopheles

With pecten teeth Without pecten teeth

1 pair sub-ventral
ventral tuft Several pairs sub- Without saw-like
With saw-like teeth
of hair ventral tuft of hair teeth
Aedes Culex Mansonia
Armigeres
Siphon with saw-like teeth Siphon not sclerotized
Mansonia Armigeres
LARVA
Distinguishing Anophelines from Culicines

Larva

Larva without siphon

Larva with siphon
Rest parallel to the surface
Hangs down from the water surface
Anopheles

With pecten teeth Without pecten teeth

1 pair sub-ventral
ventral tuft Several pairs sub- Without saw-like
With saw-like teeth
of hair ventral tuft of hair teeth
Aedes Culex Mansonia
Armigeres
Mosquito Life Stage: PUPA

• Both Culicine and Anopheline

pupa are comma-shaped ( )
• Breathing trumpet of
Anopheline is short with wide
opening
• Culicine has long and slender
trumpet but narrow opening.

It is difficult to distinguish anopheline

from culicine pupae in the field
 PUPA
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
Mosquito Life Stage: ADULT
Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved
curved
Toxorhynchites
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum rounded
Scutellum trilobed
Palps as long as proboscis
Palps as shorter than proboscis
Abdomen without scales
Abdomen with scales
Anopheles
Scutellum
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum rounded
Scutellum trilobed
Palps as long as proboscis
Palps as shorter than proboscis
Abdomen without scales
Abdomen with scales
Anopheles
Maxillary palpi

Proboscis Proboscis Maxillary Palpi

Maxillary Palpi
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum rounded
Scutellum trilobed
Palps as long as proboscis
Palps as shorter than proboscis
Abdomen without scales
Abdomen with scales
Anopheles
Abdomen
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum trilobed Scutellum rounded

Palps as shorter than proboscis Palps as long as proboscis
Abdomen with scales Abdomen without scales
Anopheles

Wing scales broad &

assymetrical Wing scales narrow
Mansonia
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum trilobed Scutellum rounded

Palps as shorter than proboscis Palps as long as proboscis
Abdomen with scales Abdomen without scales
Anopheles

Wing scales broad &

assymetrical Wing scales narrow
Mansonia

Post-spiracular
Post-spiracular bristles absent
bristles present
Culex
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum trilobed Scutellum rounded

Palps as shorter than proboscis Palps as long as proboscis
Abdomen with scales Abdomen without scales
Anopheles

Wing scales broad &

assymetrical Wing scales narrow
Mansonia

Post-spiracular
Post-spiracular bristles absent
bristles present
Culex

Base of mesomeron more or less in Base of hindcoxa lower than the

line with the base of hindcoxa base of mesomeron
Armigeres Aedes
Armigeres Aedes
 ADULT
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

Submedian longitudinal white

Lyre-shape marking
stripe
 Adult

Proboscis rigid sharply

Proboscis flexible, not curved curved
Toxorhynchites

Scutellum trilobed Scutellum rounded

Palps as shorter than proboscis Palps as long as proboscis
Abdomen with scales Abdomen without scales
Anopheles

Wing scales broad &

assymetrical Wing scales narrow
Mansonia

Post-spiracular
Post-spiracular bristles absent
bristles present
Culex

Base of mesomeron more or less in Base of hindcoxa lower than the

line with the base of hindcoxa base of mesomeron
Armigeres Aedes
 Distinguishing between male and female
mosquitoes
Female Male
Few hairs on the Hairs on the antennae,
Antennae more bushy
Anopheline Palps as long as the proboscis Palps are as long as proboscis, club-
(Anopheles) shaped tip

Culicine (Aedes, Palps are shorter than proboscis Palps longer than proboscis, with tapered
Culex, tips
Mansonia,
Armigeres)
Adult Resting Position

Culicine Anopheline

parallel to the surface at an angle to the surface