Genus Lutzia Theobald, 1903
Lutzia bigoti (Bellardi, 1862), original combination: Culex bigoti.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Culicini. Lutzia includes nine species divided between three subgenera: Insulalutzia (1 species), Lutzia (2 species) and Metalutzia (6 species). Genus abbreviation – Lt.
Lutzia are large mosquitoes. The adults have four or more lower mesepimeral setae (distinction from the adults of other Culicini). The anterior surfaces of the fore- and midfemora have numerous patches of light-coloured scales, the pulvilli are large and the radiomedial crossvein is close to the base of vein M3+4. The gonocoxite of males lacks a foliform seta (seta g). Lutzia larvae are distinguished from the larvae of other genera by the following characteristics: mouthparts modified for predation, lateral palatal brushes with about 40 stout and strongly pectinate filaments; siphon short, with pecten extending to or near apex (except subgenus Insulalutzia); saddle complete, dorsal surface strongly extended caudad making segment X appear long and pointed. Pupae have all or most of setae 1–9-CT single and seta 9-VIII inserted distinctly cephalad of the caudolateral angle of the tergum, about 0.7 from the anterior margin. See Culicini.
Belkin (1962) suggested that Lutzia (as a subgenus of Culex) is an ancient group allied with the nominotypical subgenus of Culex. Phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data support the generic status of Lutzia (Navarro & Liria, 2000; St John, 2007; Harbach et al., 2012) by placing it outside the clade comprised of the subgenera of Culex. In stark contrast, analyses based on DNA sequence data (ITS1 and ITS2 rDNA and COI mtDNA) place Lutzia among species of the subgenera of Culex (Miller et al., 1996; Deus, 2009; Vesgueiro et al., 2011; Demari-Silva et al., 2011). Based on a series of comparative and data exclusion analyses of the data set of Harbach et al. (2012) and a critical examination of the results of other phylogenetic studies, Kitching et al. (2015) concluded that no morphological or molecular data set analysed in any previously published study has adequate signal to place Lutzia unequivocally with regard to other taxa of Culicini. However, in stark contrast to the molecular studies mentioned above, the phylogenetic analysis of Sun et al. (2019) based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 protein-coding genes obtained from the complete mitochondrial genomes of 10 species of Culex and two species of Lutzia provided strong support the generic status of Lutzia as the sister of Culex.
Phylogenetic relationships within genus Lutzia have not been investigated; however, subgenus Lutzia (represented by the type species) was recovered in a basal relationship to two species of subgenus Metalutzia (Lt. fuscana and Lt. halifaxii) in the phylogenetic study of Harbach et al. (2012).
The immature stages of Lutzia occur in a wide variety of ground-water habitats, but are sometimes found in tree holes and other phytotelm habitats. Several species are commonly found in artificial containers, and appear to tolerate or prefer water with a high organic content. The larvae of all species are predaceous. They mainly feed on other mosquito larvae, but also on other insects. Females attack domestic animals and sometimes humans, but otherwise very little is known of the bionomics of the adults.
None of the species of Lutzia are of medical or economic importance.
Genus Lutzia includes two species in the Neotropical Region (subgenus Lutzia), four in Asia and the Australasian Region (subgenus Metalutzia), one in the Afrotropical Region (subgenus Metalutzia) and one in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan (subgenus Insulalutzia).
Edwards, 1941 (as subgenus of Culex, Afrotropical Region, taxonomy, adults, pupae); Hopkins, 1952 (as subgenus of Culex, Afrotropical Region, larvae); Belkin, 1962 (as subgenus of Culex, South Pacific, taxonomy); Bram, 1967 (as subgenus of Culex, Thailand); Tanaka et al., 1979 (as subgenus of Culex, Japan); Lee et al., 1988 (as subgenus of Culex, Australasian Region, taxonomy); Tanaka, 2003 (genus status, Japan, taxonomy, pupae); Rattanarithikul et al., 2005 (Thailand, bionomics, keys); Harbach et al., 2012 (morphology, phylogenetic relationships); Kitching et al., 2015 (phylogenetic relationships); Sun et al., 2019 (phylogenetic relationship with Culex).
Insulalutzia (see).
Lutzia (see).
Metalutzia (see).
