Subgenus Allimanta Casal & García, 1968
Culex tramazayguesi Duret, 1954.
Subfamily Culicinae, genus Culex. Subgenus Allimanta is monobasic. See Culex classification, Subgenus Allimanta). Subgenus abbreviation – Alm.
The following combinations of characters distinguish Allimanta from other genera of Culicini in the New World. ADULTS – Proboscis with ring of pale scales; acrostichal setae present; scutellum with white scales; thoracic pleura with distinct pale scale-patches; lower mesepimeral seta present; costa and subcosta of wing with scattered pale scales; femora and tibiae with apical pale bands; tarsi with pale rings at joints, hindtarsomere 5 entirely pale-scaled; abdominal terga with narrow basal pale bands. MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX lobes poorly developed, widely separated, with few small setae; gonocoxite rather short and shout, without scales; subapical lobe postmedian in position, with distinct proximal and distal divisions, stem of proximal division with 2 apical rod-like setae, distal division with single rod-like seta and a slender seta on lateral side of stem; gonostylus slightly flattened and flared distally, with short broad claw at apex; phallosome not columnar, lateral plate gradually tapered to laterally bent point, with small basal hook; paraproct with dense crown of short needle-like spicules, basal lateral arm rather stout and straight; cercal setae present. LARVAE – Setae 2,3-C present; seta 3-P as long as setae 1,2-P; seta 8-P well developed, 2-branched; seta 7-I subequal to setae 6-I, 7-II small, similar to seta 7-III–V, seta 7-VI single; siphon with 5 or 6 seta 1-S inserted in more or less single posterior row from pecten to near apex, single subapical pair of dorsolateral setae; saddle complete, seta 2-X with 3–5 branches, seta 3-X single; ventral brush (seta 4-X) with 5.5–6 pairs of branched setae inserted on grid. PUPAE – Trumpet long, distally flared, pinna as long as meatus; seta 6-I longer than seta 7-I; seta 5-IV–VI longer than following tergum; seta 6-VII with 5–9 branches, inserted posteromesad of seta 9-VII; paddle without marginal spicules; seta 1-Pa and seta 2-Pa present. See genus Culex.
Allimanta was placed among principally Afrotropical subgenera of Culex in the analyses of St John (2007) and was recovered in a basal relationship to all Old World groupings of Culicini in the analysis of Mallampalli (1995). The sole species of this subgenus, Cx. tramazayguesi, was originally described as a species of subgenus Culex with certain features shared with species of Barraudius and Lasiosiphon (Duret 1954; Casal & García 1968), which occur principally in the Mediterranean Subregion of the Palaearctic. Consequently, it is interesting that Allimanta was recovered in a basal relationship to a large clade comprised of New World generic-level taxa in the phylogenetic study of Harbach et al. (2012).
Larvae were found in hyper-saline ground water near a thermal spring. Females were captured indoors.
The single species of subgenus Allimanta is not a medically important species.
Argentina.
Duret, 1954 (species description); Casal & García, 1968 (subgenus and species descriptions); González et al., 2023 (Neotropical subgenera of Culex, comparative morphology).
tramazayguesi Duret, 1954
