Culex (Culex) duttoni Theobald, 1901c

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Turner, James & Azari-Hamidian, Shahyad, 2023, An overview of the mosquitoes of Saudi Arabia (Diptera: Culicidae), with updated keys to the adult females, Zootaxa 5394 (1), pp. 1-76 : 31

Culex (Culex) duttoni Theobald, 1901c ( Fig. 29 )

Type locality. Duke Town , Nigeria.

Distribution. This species is widespread in the Afrotropical Region ( Wilkerson et al. 2021). In the Middle East and North Africa, it occurs in Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Yemen ( Lewis 1956; Mattingly & Knight 1956; White 1980; Harbach 1985; Brunhes et al. 2000; Abdoon 2004; Al-Ali et al. 2008; Tantely et al. 2016; Lemine et al. 2017; Wilkerson et al. 2021). It was recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia by Abdoon (2004).

Remarks. Culex duttoni combines features of the Pipiens and Sitiens Groups. It has a ringed proboscis and ringed tarsi similar to the species of the Sitiens Group and 2 to 4 lower mesepimeral setae like species of the Pipiens Group. That is why it is classified in a separate group (Duttoni Group) ( Harbach 1988, and see key below).

Medical importance. Culex duttoni is involved in the transmission of Yaoundé and Uganda S viruses in Africa ( Adam & Digoutte 2005; Tantely et al. 2016).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Culex duttoni, female (Natural History Museum, London, photo by James Turner, National Museum of Wales).