Mansonia

Genus of the dipteran family Culicidae (mosquitoes). In Europe Mansonia richiardii occurs, reaching the size of Culex spp. The species of this genus are characterized by the fact that the larvae and pupae do not come at the surface of their water habitat in order to take up oxygen, but they take up oxygen by biting into air capillaries of water plants. Biting time of the females is late afternoon until 11 p.m. There is in general, only one generation per year. The adults are easily recognised by their speckled wings, the veins being covered with broad, asymmetrical, pale and dark scales (Fig. 1, page 778), and by their white‐banded legs. M. titillans is in Central and South America the most important man‐biter. It acts as vector of the virus of the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis. M. uniformis (belonging to the subgenus Mansonioides) occurs from West Africa through India eastwards to Japan till the Australian region. This species is the vector of the Brugian filariasisin India...