Genus Mimomyia Theobald, 1903
Mimomyia splendens Theobald, 1903.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Ficalbiini. Mimomyia, along with genus Ficalbia, belongs to tribe Ficalbiini. Mimomyia includes 46 species divided between three subgenera: Etorleptiomyia (6 species), Ingramia (22 species) and Mimomyia (18 species). Genus abbreviation – Mi.
Mimomyia are generally small mosquitoes. The adults are rather easily distinguished from other genera, except Ficalbia, by the following combination of characters: first flagellomere of antenna sometimes elongate (one and a half to three times as long as second flagellomere in females of subgenus Mimomyia); head with erect scales on vertex and occiput or restricted to occiput; acrostichal and dorsocentral setae present; prespiracular and postspiracular setae present or absent; upper calypter with a fringe of setae or hair-like scales; alula bare or with broad recumbent scales on dorsal margin (distinction from Ficalbia); anal vein (vein 1A) ends beyond base of mediocubital crossvein; tarsi normal, pulvilli not evident. Larvae of Mimomyia are characterised as follows: distal part of antenna articulated with basal part (not fused as in Ficalbia); hypostomal suture incomplete or absent, usually absent; seta 12-I present; siphon usually sharply narrowed distally, with spiracular apparatus sometimes modified and fused with siphon for piercing plant tissues; seta 1-S inserted beyond base (distinction from Ficalbia); pecten absent or reduced, at most with four spines; ventral brush (seta 4-X) with four to six pairs of setae; saddle complete or incomplete, without minute setae on midventral area of segment X (distinction from Ficalbia). The larvae share many characteristics with Hodgesia, which differ in having a complete hypostomal suture and exceptionally long thoracic setae. See Ficalbiini.
The phylogenetic relationships of Mimomyia are uncertain. Morphological data suggest affinities with Ficalbia and Hodgesia (Harbach & Kitching, 1998). Mattingly (1981) suggested that Ficalbia and Mimomyia are more distantly related than their inclusion in the same tribe would suggest, and this notion is supported, although weakly, by the pairing of Ficalbia with Hodgesia rather than Mimomyia in the phylogenetic analyses of Harbach & Kitching (1998) based on morphological data. The phylogeny of the subgenera and species has not been investigated.
Very little is known about the bionomics of Mimomyia. The larvae of most species occur in swamps and marshes with dense vegetation. The larval siphon of several species is modified for piercing aquatic plants to obtain oxygen. Larvae of subgenus Ingramia are found in the leaf axils of plants. The adults of several species have been reported to bite humans, but none are serious pests. Most species appear to be active at night.
The species of Mimomyia have no medical importance.
Species of Mimomyia occur in the Australasian, Oriental and Afrotropical Regions. Two species extend into the eastern Palaearctic (Ryukyu Archipelago). Most species of subgenus Ingramia are known only from Madagascar.
Barraud, 1934 (as subgenus of Ficalbia, southern Asia, species descriptions, bionomics, distributionsa); Edwards, 1941 (as subgenus of Ficalbia, Afrotropical Region, species groups, adult and pupal descriptions, distributions); Hopkins, 1952 (as subgenus of Ficalbia, larvae, descriptions, bionomics); Mattingly & Grjebine, 1958 (as subgenus Mimomyia of Ficalbia, taxonomy, keys, bionomics, zoogeography, affinities); Belkin, 1962 (South Pacific, taxonomy [including Ficalbia]); Delfinado, 1966 (as subgenus of Ficalbia, Philippines, taxonomy, species descriptions, distributions, bionomics); Tanaka et al., 1979 (Japan, genus and species descriptions, keys, distributions, bionomics); Grjebine, 1986 (Madagascar, taxonomy, genus, subgenus and species descriptions, distributions, bionomics, keys); Lee et al., 1988 (Australasian Region, taxonomy, genus and species descriptions, literature, bionomics); Service, 1990 (Afrotropical Region, genus, subgenus and species descriptions, keys, bionomics, distributions); Rattanarithikul et al., 2006 (Thailand, keys, bionomics) .
Etorleptiomyia (see).
Ingramia (see).
Mimomyia (see).
