- Culicidae » Culicinae » Sabethini
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- Representative species shown here:
- Limatus durhamii
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Genus-specific Diagnostic Characters, Adult Stage
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Name-bearing Type
- 1901a:349 [pdf not available]
- Type Species: Limatus durhamii
Classification
- Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Sabethini. Limatus includes only eight species.
Distribution
- Species of Limatus occur in Central America, eastern South America and the West Indies.
Phylogeny
- Whereas Limatus was embedded within genus Wyeomyia in the morphological phylogeny of Judd (1996), it was recovered as a monophyletic lineage outside of Wyeomyia in the separate morphological and allozyme phylogenies of Motta et al. (2007). Limatus was recovered in a sister relationship with Sabethes in the cladistic analyses of morphological data conducted by Harbach & Kitching (1998) and Harbach & Peyton (2000), but was paired with genus Malaya when genus Kimia was included in the data set of the latter authors. The phylogeny of Limatus has not been investigated.
Characteristics
- The adults of Limatus are unique in having a single unguis (claw) on the hindleg, and differ from all other mosquitoes of tribe Sabethini in having scales on the prespiracular area instead of setae. They generally resemble Sabethes in overall ornamentation, but the scutum is distinctive in bearing a striking pattern of gold, blue and violet scales. The short and broad caudolateral slits of the occipital foramen and the absence of an apical tooth on the maxilla distinguishes the larvae of Limatus from those of Sabethes and the majority of species currently assigned to genus Wyeomyia. Seta 1-C are inserted close together, but the larvae are otherwise very similar to those of Wyeomyia. See Sabethini.
Bionomics
- Limatus are forest mosquitoes. Larvae have been found in cavities such as bamboo, tree-holes, coconut husks, cacao pods, fallen leaves and spathes, snail shells, rock holes along streams and a variety of small artificial containers. Adults have been captured during landing-biting collections made at ground level and on towers in forest.
Medical
- Wyeomyia virus has been isolated from a pool of Limatus in Trinidad, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus has been isolated from Li. flavisetosus, but species of the genus are unlikely to be of medical or economic importance to humans.
Important References
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Included Taxa
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The materials presented in the Classification, Distribution, Phylogeny, Characteristics, Medical, and Important References sections, and links to subgenera, are reproduced with permission of Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory, moderated by Ralph Harbach on behalf of the contributors who retain copyright. For additional information on reuse parameters, please contact Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory. Images and maps, unless otherwise attributed, and links to the literature are provided by the WRBU. |