Wyeomyia

Wyeomyia is a genus of mosquitoes first described in 1901 by Frederick Vincent Theobald.[2] The genus's 140 species can be difficult to characterize because of their diversity and the need for additional taxonomic work to further delineate them.[2] Adults resemble genus Limatus and Sabethes mosquitoes more closely than other genera in the New World tribe Sabethini,[2] but differ by their scutal scales ranging in color from a relatively dull bronzy with a slight metallic sheen in most species, to a metallic gold.[2] There are other distinguishing characters as well.[2][1][3]

Wyeomyia
Wyeomyia smithii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Culicidae
Subfamily:
Culicinae
Tribe:
Sabethini
Genus:
Wyeomyia

Type species
Wyeomyia grayii
Species

Wyeomyia medioalbipes
Wyeomyia smithii

Distribution

Wyeomyia mosquitoes are predominantly neotropical, ranging across the Caribbean into Florida, with one species occurring in eastern North America.[1][2][3]

Ecology

Most Wyeomyia mosquitoes are forest-inhabiting, preferring damp environments.[1] Larvae develop in small collections of water in bromeliads and aroids, flower bracts, broken bamboo and bamboo stumps, tree holes, pitcher plants, and sometimes man-made containers.[1] They feed on organic matter in the water, including decomposing carcasses of insects and spiders.[3] Some species obtain oxygen directly from the water, rarely, if ever, surfacing.[3]

Adults are active during the day, usually near larval habitats.[1] Some species are found at characteristic elevations in the forest canopy, with others appearing to be restricted to ground level.[1]

Most Wyeomyia species will take blood meals, and females readily feed on humans who enter their habitat.[1] Although Ilhéus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis and Maguari viruses have been isolated from Wyeomyia mosquitoes, they are not known to transmit a disease agent to humans.[1]

Subgenera

The following subgenera are recognised:[1]

  • Antunesmyia Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
  • Caenomyiella Harbach & Peyton, 1990
  • Cruzmyia Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
  • Decamyia Dyar, 1919
  • Dendromyia Theobald, 1903
  • Dodecamyia Dyar, 1918
  • Exallomyia Harbach & Peyton, 1992
  • Hystatomyia Dyar, 1919
  • Menolepis Lutz, 1905
  • Miamyia Dyar, 1919
  • Nunezia Dyar, 1928
  • Phoniomyia Theobald, 1903
  • Prosopolepis Lutz, 1905
  • Spilonympha Motta & Lourenço-de-Oliveira, 2005
  • Triamyia Dyar, 1919
  • Wyeomyia Theobald, 1901
  • Zinzala Zavortink, 1986

See also

References
  1. Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit: "Culicidae » Culicinae » Sabethini » Wyeomyia" in Systematic Catalog of Culicidae, http://www.wrbu.org/mqID/mq_gnra/wyeomyia.htm, accessed August 5, 2017.
  2. Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory: Wyeomyia Theobald, 1901, http://mosquito-taxonomic-inventory.info/simpletaxonomy/term/6251, accessed August 5, 2017.
  3. Robin McLeod with additional contributions by V. Belov: Genus Wyeomyia, Bugguide, http://bugguide.net/node/view/38485, last updated 11 October 2011, last accessed August 5, 2017.
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