Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758. [Meigen (1818) introduced the first family-group name (Culiciformes) that established the date of priority for Culicidae and the coordinate tribal name Culicini (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999: Article 36.1).]
Subfamily Culicinae. The tribe includes 795 species classified in four genera. Culex is by far the largest genus with 768 species divided between 26 subgenera. In comparison, Deinocerites has 18 species, Galindomyia one species and Lutzia eight species. Navarro & Liria (2000) formally reduced genus Deinocerites to subgeneric status in genus Culex, but this action has not been widely accepted because this group of species is diagnosed by many unique (autapomorphic) features in the immature and adult stages.
The immature stages of Culicini are very similar to the immature stages of some groups of Culiseta. As far as known, the cibarial armature of the females is developed elsewhere only in subfamily Anophelinae. The absence of spiracular setae and postspiracular setae is rather distinctive of Culicini, but the latter are present in at least two species (see genus Culex). The tribe is unique in the development of more or less distinct pulvilli at the base of the ungues, but this character is rather difficult to observe. The crown of spicules on the paraprocts of the male genitalia is also a unique feature of Culicini, but the spicules are reduced in some subgenera of Culex. See Culicinae.
Species of Culex are found primarily in more or less permanent bodies of ground water, but many species inhabit the leaf axils of plants, tree holes, rock holes and crab holes. A few species that normally occur in ground water or tree holes also utilise artificial containers. The eggs of most Culex species are laid in rafts on the water surface, but species that inhabit axils of plants are likely to lay their eggs individually, possibly in individual gelatinous coverings like species of subgenus Microculex. The females of the majority of species attack humans, other mammals and birds. Some species appear to feed primarily on birds, and some are known to feed on frogs and lizards. Several species, primarily of subgenus Culex, are more or less closely associated with humans.
Culex has a cosmopolitan distribution, Deinocerites and Galindomyia occur in the Neotropical Region and Lutzia is represented by species in all zoogeographical regions except the western Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions.
See the references listed for genera Culex, Deinocerites, Galindomyia and Lutzia.