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Name-bearing Type

• Theobald
• 1901a:98 [pdf not available]
• Type Species: Trichoprosopon nivipes

Classification

• Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Sabethini. Trichoprosopon includes 13 species. The genus is not divided into subgenera.

Distribution

• Species of Trichoprosopon occur in Central and South America.
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Phylogeny

• The phyletic affinities of Trichoprosopon are not definitely known. The genus was recovered as the basal clade within a monophyletic assemblage of New World sabethine genera in the cladistic analysis of Judd (1996). Its relationships with other New World genera were unresolved in the analysis of Harbach & Kitching (1998), and was recovered as the sister of Johnbelkinia + Runchomyia when genus Onirion was included in their data set (Harbach & Peyton, 2000). When Harbach et al. (2007a) included genus Kimia in the latter data set, Trichoprosopon was paired with the Old World genus Tripteroides in a sister relationship with Kimia. Speculation about a close relationship between Trichoprosopon and Tripteroides has existed since Lee (1946) could find no clear distinctions to separate them. The phylogenetic relationships of the species of Trichoprosopon are unknown.

Characteristics

• The adults of Trichoprosopon are distinguished from other genera in the New World by the following combination of characters: proboscis relatively short, about as long as forefemur; antepronota relatively small and separated; prespiracular setae and mesopostnotal setae present; postprocoxal scales absent; lower mesokatepisternal setae extended above lower edge of mesepimeron; laterotergite with some sparse scales distally. The genus includes some species with setae on the clypeus. Larvae are recognised by the presence of a circular occipital foramen with a distinct collar, maxilla with a maxillary brush and the cardo fused with the base of the palpus, complete hypostomal suture, absence of seta 8-M, and the absence of pecten spines and midventral filaments on the siphon. See Sabethini.

Bionomics

• Trichoprosopon are basically forest mosquitoes. Larvae are found in small containers of water. They have been collected from bamboo, fallen leaves and spathes, cacao pods, coconut shells, nuts (monkey pods), flower bracts of Heliconia, leaf axils, tree holes and artificial containers. Females of a few species are known to bite humans in shaded areas during the daytime.

Medical

• Trichoprosopon digitatum is regarded as a potential vector of arboviruses to humans. Pixuna and Wyeomyia viruses have been isolated from this species; Bussuquara, Ilheus and St. Louis encephalitis viruses have been isolated from mixed pools that included this species.

Important References

Lane, 1953 (see Zavortink, 1979 for included species) Forattini, 1965b Zavortink, 1979 (genus as currently defined) Darsie, 1985 (keys, Argentina)

Included Taxa

andinum Levi-Castillo, 1953 brevipes (da Costa Lima, 1931) castroi Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 compressum Lutz, 1905 subspecies compressum Lutz, 1905 subspecies mogilasium (Dyar & Knab, 1907) digitatum (Rondani, 1848) subspecies digitatum (Rondani, 1848) subspecies townsendi Stone, 1944 evansae Antunes, 1942 lampropus (Howard, Dyar & Knab, 1913) lanei (Antunes, 1937) obscurum Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 pallidiventer (Lutz, 1905) simile Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 soaresi Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 vonplesseni (Dyar & Knab, 1906)

Nomina dubia cotopaxense Levi-Castillo, 1953 hyperleucum (Martini, 1931)

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.