Culiciomyia was originally proposed as a distinct genus by Theobald (1907). Designation of the type species, Culiciomyia inornata Theobald, 1907 (subjective synonym of Culex fragilis Ludlow, 1903), is attributed to Edwards (1912). Culiciomyia was reduced to subgeneric status in Culex by Edwards (1921). Edwards (1932) recognised two species groups in the subgenus: group A, the Fragilis Group, with species in the Oriental, Indomalayan and Australasian Regions, and group B, the Nebulosus Group, with species restricted to the Afrotropical Region. Three additional groups have since been recognised for species in the Oriental Region: the Dispectus Group (Bram, 1969), Tricuspis Group (Harrison, 1987) and the Shebbearei Group, which is the name given here, based on nomenclatural priority, for the unnamed "group or complex" of Sirivanakarn (1977).
