Subgenus Acallyntrum Stone & Penn, 1948
Culex perkinsi Stone & Penn, 1948.
Subfamily Culicinae, genus Culex. Subgenus Acallyntrum includes eight species classified in two groups, the Perkinsi and Bicki Groups. See Culex classification, Subgenus Acallyntrum). Subgenus abbreviation – Acl.
ADULTS – Rather small mosquitoes; vertex of head with a large central area of narrow curved scales; broad flat scales laterally but not bordering margins of eyes above lower edge of central patch of narrow scales; antenna of males unmodified; maxillary palpus of females not more than 0.25 length of proboscis; palpomere 3 of males with a ventral row of specialised scales, palpomeres 4 and 5 setose; proboscis of males with some long setae on ventral surface; acrostichal setae strongly developed; scutellar scales narrow; lower mesepimeral seta present; thoracic pleura without scale-patches; wing scales narrow, dark; hindfemur almost completely white; tarsi dark; pale markings of terga basal if present. MALE GENITALIA – Gonocoxite without scales; subapical lobe with setae a-c differentiated, some setae in group d-f specialised; gonostylus simple, tapered apically, with l or 2 small setae on inner surface, 1 or 2 terminal setae short, broad; phallosome simple, lateral plates joined by a ventral bridge; paraproct with crown of variable small subequal spicules in single row, basal sternal process absent; cercal setae absent. LARVAE – Palatal brushes normal; seta 1-A large, near middle of antenna; seta 4-C branched; setae 5,6-C in anterior half of head capsule, seta 5-C multiple-branched; setae 6,7-C with 3 or more branches; siphon moderately long, 3 pairs of long posterolateral seta 1-S usually distal to pecten; saddle incomplete, caudal marginal spicules distinct; ventral brush (seta 4-X) comprised of 1 pair of short setae. PUPAE – Seta 1-CT much longer than setae 2,3-CT; seta 1-Pa present or absent, seta 2-Pa absent. See genus Culex.
Belkin (1962) noted that Acallyntrum appears to be most closely related to Culiciomyia based on overall morphological similarity, and hypothesised that these taxa may have evolved from a common ancestor. The study of St John (2007) suggested a sister relationship with Acalleomyia whereas the more detailed study of Harbach et al. (2012) showed that Acallyntrum has a closer affinity with Culiciomyia.
Immature stages have been found in leaf axils of Pandanus (principally), taro and sago palm. Adult females are not known to bite humans.
The species of subgenus Acallyntrum are of no known medical importance.
Tropical areas of the Australasian Region.
Belkin, 1962 (taxonomy, bionomics, distribution; Lee et al., 1989 (key to females, taxonomy, bionomics, distributions).
axillicolus Steffan, 1979 belkini Stone & Penn, 1948 bicki Stone & Penn, 1947 binigrolineatus Knight & Rozeboom, 1945 bougainvillensis Steffan, 1979 miyagii Mogi & Toma, 1999 pallidiceps (Theobald, 1905) perkinsi Stone & Penn, 1948
