WRBU: Culex quinquefasciatus

Author

Say

Argentina, Australia, Bahama Islands, Brazil, Chile, China, R. Congo, D. R. Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States

pungens
- Wiedemann 1828:9 (F)
- Type-loc: New Orleans, [Louisiana, United States] (NMW)
- Belkin 1968b:19 (lectotype desig.)
fatigans
- Wiedemann 1828:10 (M, F)
- Type-loc: East Indies [Indonesia] (NMW)
- Barraud 1934:420 (M*, F, L*)
- Edwards 1941:316 (M*, F*),421 (P)
- Lane 1953:344 (M*, F*, P*, L*)
- Dobrotworsky 1955b:41 (hybridization studies)
- Stone 1956(1957), 342 (syn.)
- Dobrotworsky 1965:215 (M*, F, L*)
- Belkin 1968a:68 (lectotype desig.) [The common usage of fatigans in preference to its senior synonyms, quinquefasciatus and pungens, is still prevalent. This problem obviously merits an ICZN solution.]
aestuans
- Wiedemann 1828:11 (M, F). Type-loc: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (NMW)
- Stone 1958a:186 (syn.)
- Belkin 1968b:12 (tax.)
- Belkin, Schick, and Heinemann 1971:22 (type-loc. info.)
acer
- Walker 1848:8 (F)
- Type-loc: New Zealand (BM)
cingulatus
- Doleschall 1856:405 (A)
- Type-loc: Ambarawa, Java (LU)

Larvae can be found in bodies of water containing a high degree of organic pollution and close to human habitation. Females readily enter houses at night and bite man in preference to other mammals (Sirivanakarn 1976).

This species is a vector of avian malaria, a primary vector of Wuchereria bancrofti. Western equine encephalomyelitis and St. Louis encephalitis have been isolated from this species and it has been implicated as a vector of dog heartworm (Carpenter and LaCasse 1955, Sirivanakarn 1976).