Culex (Phenacomyia) lactator, a new mosquito species in Broward County, Florida

Evaristo Miqueli; Bryan Giordano; Stephen Garcia; Elsie Giron-Golightly; Odette Reza-Brown; Dagne Duguma

doi:10.32473/jfmca.72.1.139353

Culex (Phenacomyia) lactator, a new mosquito species in Broward County, Florida

Authors

Evaristo Miqueli
Bryan Giordano
Stephen Garcia
Elsie Giron-Golightly
Odette Reza-Brown
Dagne Duguma

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/jfmca.72.1.139353

Keywords:

mosquito, Culex lactator, non-native, invasive, county record, morphology, taxonomy

Abstract

Culex (Phenacomyia) lactator (Diptera: Culicidae) was detected in Broward County. Here we describe a single larval habitat where Cx. lactator larvae were collected in the winter of 2023 and 2024 in the City of Miramar. Adult specimens of this species were collected from two locations in fall 2022 using CDC light traps and in winter 2023 using Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps. In this paper, we provide larval habitat description and photographic evidence of morphology consistent with Cx. lactator larvae and adults.