More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Flies of Zihuatanejo
ORDER DIPTERA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Nematoceran Flies (Suborder Nematocera)
-Mosquitoes and Midges (Infraorder Culicomorpha)
-Superfamily Culicoidea
-Mosquitoes (Family Culicidae)
-Culicine Mosquitoes (Subfamily Culicinae)
-Tribe Culicini
-Genus Culex
The Culex genus of mosquitoes (sometimes referred to as common house mosquitoes) encompasses several species which are capable of transmitting diseases. Adults are small, slender insects with long legs, narrow wings, and a forward-projecting proboscis used for feeding. Their coloration is generally muted—brown, gray, or tan—without the bold black-and-white patterns seen in some other mosquito genera. Females are the biting sex, requiring blood meals to develop their eggs, while males feed primarily on nectar and plant sugars. These mosquitoes are typically most active at dusk and during the night, when females seek out hosts—including birds, mammals, and humans—guided by carbon dioxide, body heat, and scent.
Culex Mosquitoes
Culex (Genus)
Description
Culex is a large and widespread genus of mosquitoes in the family Culicidae. Species are generally slender, long-legged flies with narrow wings, a long proboscis, and relatively small scales covering the body and wings. Adults are often brown, grey, or dark in colour, with some species showing distinctive pale bands or markings. Females have piercing mouthparts adapted for taking blood meals, while males have plumose antennae and feed primarily on plant-derived liquids.
Range
Species of Culex occur worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and are especially diverse in warm climates. Numerous species occur throughout Mexico, including the Pacific coastal region, and Culex mosquitoes can be encountered in the Zihua area.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats wherever suitable standing or slow-moving water is available for breeding. Larvae commonly develop in ponds, marshes, drainage ditches, containers, water tanks, tree holes, and other natural or artificial water-holding sites. Adults are commonly found in vegetation, shaded areas, and around human habitation.
Diet
Larvae feed on microorganisms, algae, bacteria, and organic particles suspended in the water. Adult males feed primarily on nectar and other plant sugars, while females of many species take blood meals from birds or mammals to obtain proteins required for egg production. Several Culex species are important vectors of various pathogens.