Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Culicidae
Genus: Culex
Subgenus: Culex
Species: C. Sitiens
Binomial name: Culex annulirostris
Synonyms: Culex palm, Culicelsa simplex, Culicelsa consimilis, Culex someresti, Culex jepsoni, Culex consimilis, Culex bancroftii,
Common name: Common banded mosquito
NZ Status: Not present- Unwanted Organism
'Report all sighting to PEST-AND-DISEASE HOTLINE – 0800 80 99 66''''
Culex annulirostris is mosquito native to Australia, Fiji, Micronesia, the Philippines and Indonesia. It is regarded as a serious pest species throughout its range. It is an important vector for a number of arboviruses, including Murray Valley encephalitis virus, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Kunjin virus and Japanese encephalitis, as well as dog heartworm and the roundworm Wuchereria bancrofti in New Guinea. There is evidence it can carry the Myxoma virus (myxomatosis).
This species has been intercepted in New Zealand eleven times. The last interception was at Napier in a dirty shipping container. It is believed that Cutex annulirostris would be unable to establish in the cooler parts of New Zealand.
Culex annulirostris breeds in a variety of standing water habitats such as freshwater pools, irrigated areas, ditches and containers such as 44-gallon drums, stock troughs, tyres and swimming pools. The water can be clean or polluted, in sun or shade, and fresh or brackish.
The female is a moderate-sized brown to a dark brown mosquito, with a single pale prominent broad band on the middle third of its proboscis, and similar bands on its legs. The species name is derived from the Latin words annulus "ring" and rostrum "bill". It closely resembles another unwanted organism the closely related Cutex sitiens. The latter species has a narrower band on its proboscis.
Only the female feeds on blood as it needs to consume protein to help in reproducing. The male drinks nectar. The female mosquitoes are active between spring and late autumn. During this time they appear most commonly at dusk, though can also be active during the day and indoors. They can travel 5–12 km from their place of birth and feed on mammals and birds.
A photo of a female Culex annulirostris with her distinctive single pale prominent band on the middle third of its proboscis
Head dorsal
Abdomen dorsal
Abdomen lateral
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