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Common Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles quadrimaculatus
41.584, -73.442
Field Notes
Description:
Anopheline adults rest with their abdomens positioned at a discrete angle to the surface, whereas other genera keep their bodies parallel to the surface, which makes them easy to identify to genus level. However, this mosquito was NOT resting in typical Anopheline fashion. I'm guessing that it might have something to do with all of the red mites on her abdomen - they must be very heavy for a small mosquito to carry!
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Anophelines have long palps approximately equal in length to the proboscis. An. quadrimaculatus are very dark mosquitoes covered in dark hairs, and a key feature are the dark patches of scales forming four spots on the wings, which you can't see in this photo (I checked for them though).
Habitat:
Attracted to a light at night in a rural area.
Notes:
Anopheles quadrimaculatus is historically the most important vector of malaria in the eastern United States. Malaria was a serious plague in the United States for centuries until its final eradication in the 1950s. Despite the eradication, there are still occasional cases of autochthonous transmission in the U.S. vectored by Anopheles quadrimaculatus.
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