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Culicidae > Culicinae > Culicini

Distribution
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Venezuela, Virgin Islands
Distribution map

Synonyms
Brachiomyia Theobald 1901c:343. Haplotype: magna Theobald.
Deinokerides Giles 1902:472 (?emend.).
Dinocerites Blanchard 1905:413 (emend.).
Dinomimetes Knab 1907b:120. Haplotype: epitedeus Knab.
Dinanamesus Dyar and Knab l909d:259. Haplotype: spanius Dyar and Knab.

Bionomics
The larvae of all Deinocerites usually breed in crab-holes, but some species have been collected from other habitats, including post-holes, rock-holes, tree-holes, and various artificial containers. Adults appear to be active after sundown and rest in crab-holes during the daylight hours. The feeding preferences of females are not well known, but some species feed on a variety of hosts, including humans and other mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, and toads.

Important References >> 		habitus image Representative species shown here:
Deinocerites pseudes

Genus-specific Diagnostic Characters, Adult Stage:
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1. Pulvilli present,
2. Flagellomere 1 more than twice as long as flagellomere 2,
3. Erect scales of head numerous on vertex and occiput.

Recommended characters:
4. Prespiracular setae absent,
5. Base of hindcoxa distinctly ventral to base of mesomeron,
6. Postspiracular setae absent.

Genus-specific Diagnostic Characters, Larval Stage >>

Medical Importance
Venezuelan and St. Louis equine encephalitis viruses have been isolated from Deinocerites pseudes, and laboratory studies have shown that this species is capable of transmitting these viruses. Nevertheless, species of Deinocerites are not important pests of humans and probably play little if any role in the transmission of pathogens.