Culiseta is a
genus of
mosquitoes. Most Culiseta species are cold-adapted, and only occur in warmer climates during the colder parts of the year or at higher elevations where temperatures are lower. Species found in Southern California are larger than most mosquitoes species, specifically Cs. inornata, Cs. particeps, and Cs. incidens. These species are found throughout the year in Southern California and feed on several vertebrate species, such as birds, livestock, rodents, reptiles, and humans.[2][3] The
larvae of most species are found
bogs,
marshes,
ponds,
streams,
ditches, and
rock pools, but an African species occurs in
tree holes ("
phytotelmata"), a common eastern
Palaearctic species occurs in
water wells and rock pools, and several Australian species occur
under ground. Little is known about the
blood-feeding habits of females. Most species feed on birds and
mammals, but a few feed on
reptiles. Several species attack
domestic animals and occasionally
humans,[4] and some species are pollinators.[5]
Culiseta species are found throughout the world, except in South America.[4] Two extinct species are known from the
EoceneKishenehn Formation in
Montana[6]
^Identification of the Mosquitoes of California. Richard Meyer and Stephen Durso, Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California. 1998.
^Sandhu TS, Williams GW, Haynes BW, Dhillon MS. Population dynamics of blood-fed female mosquitoes and comparative efficacy of resting boxes in collecting them from the northwestern part of
Riverside County, California. J Global Infect Dis [serial online] 2013 [cited 2013 Oct 22];5:15-8.
Fatma K. Adham; Leaf, HL (December 1982). "Establishment of a colony of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata under laboratory conditions". Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 38 (12): 1498–1499.
doi:
10.1007/BF01955792.
OCLC14209071.
PMID6129996.
S2CID28339887.