Culex malariager
| Culex malariager | |
|---|---|
| |
| Culex malariager in Dominican amber | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Culicidae |
| Genus: | Culex |
| Species: | †C. malariager
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| Binomial name | |
| †Culex malariager Poinar, 2005
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Culex malariager is an extinct species of mosquito in the genus Culex. It is the first recorded appearance of a mosquito infected by malarial parasites.[1]
The female mosquito was found embedded in amber from the La Toca amber mine in the Dominican Republic, between Puerto Plata and Santiago. The amber, which is trapezoidal and weighs 2 grams, dates back to the Cenozoic era.[2] It was identified as a vector of the parasite Plasmodium dominicana.[2] The vertebrate host of P. dominicana is assumed to be avian.[3]
Description
[edit]The holotype female specimen is mostly complete, but many scales and bristles are detached. Only three of the legs—both forelegs and one of the midlegs—are attached to the body.[2]
Culex malariager is a small mosquito, measuring 4.1 mm in length. The head itself is 0.59 mm by 0.66 mm. Thorax and abdomen are 1.2 mm and 2.3 mm respectively.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Roche, John (18 March 2016). "Did the Malaria Parasite First Evolve in the Insect Vector or the Vertebrate Host?".
- ^ a b c d Poinar, George (July 2005). "Culex malariager, N. sp (Diptera : Culicidae) from Dominican amber: The first fossil mosquito vector of plasmodium". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 107: 548–553.
- ^ Poinar Jr., George (May 2005). "Plasmodium dominicana n. sp. (Plasmodiidae: Haemospororida) from Tertiary Dominican amber". Systematic Parasitology. 61: 47–52.