Research on the mosquitoes of Angola - Systematic Catalog of ...

8-- RELATION TO DISEASE
Genus Culex as a whole seems to be mainly associated with birds,
though species within the genus range in host preferences from those
feeding on cold-blooded vertebrates (amphibians) to that species which
are persistent man-biters. On the other hand, members of genus Culex
are quite often involved in the transmission of arthropod-borne animal
viruses, which seems to be a particular trait of mosquitoes in general
when compared with other arthropods (95).
According to their position in the antropophily-zoophily gradient,
the Angolan species of Culex may be divided into four main groups:
(a) the small group of the markedly antropophilic species, with C. p. quinque/asciatus,
C. thaiassists, and C. poicilipes,' (b) the group of the indifferent
species, that is, those which easily bite both man and animals, including
C. rubinotus, C. theileri, C. aurantapex jinjaensis, C. simpsoni (form A)
and C. bitaeniorhynchus; (c) those species which undoubtly prefer animal
blood but have also been recorded as biting man occasionally, with C. annulioris,
C. antennatus, C. argenteopunctatus kingi, C. cinereus, C. duttoni,
C. guiarti, C. horridus, C. inconspicuosus, C. ingrami, C. invidiosus,
C. ornatothoracis, C. per[uscus, C. p. pipiens, C. pruina, sspp., C. t. tritaeniorhynchus,
C. univittatus, C. watti and C. weschei gediensis,' (d) the
group of those zoophilic species which were never recorded as biting man,
even occasionally, including the remaining ten species of subgenus Culex
and most (nine out of thirteen) species of the other minor subgenera.
The first group of species includes some of the best known nuisance
mosquitoes in Tropical Africa, often becoming true pests, at least in
certain areas. Besides, C. p. quinquefasciatus is also one of the mosquitoes
most often associated with the circulation of arthropod-borne animal
Estud., Ens. e Doc.- 134 125