Genus Trichoprosopon Theobald, 1901
Trichoprosopon nivipes Theobald, 1901 [subjective synonym of Trichoprosopon digitatum (Rondani, 1848). [Theobald (1901) introduced the family-group name Trichoprosoponini (correction of Trichoprosoponina) for this genus.]
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Sabethini. Trichoprosopon includes 17 species. The genus is not divided into subgenera. Genus abbreviation – Tr.
The adults of Trichoprosopon species are distinguished from the adults of other genera in the New World by the following combination of characters: proboscis relatively short, about as long as forefemur; antepronota relatively small and separated; prespiracular setae and mesopostnotal setae present; postprocoxal scales absent; lower mesokatepisternal setae extend above lower edge of mesepimeron; laterotergite with some sparse scales distally. The genus includes some species with setae on the clypeus. Larvae are recognised by the presence of a circular occipital foramen with a distinct collar, maxilla with a maxillary brush and the cardo fused with the base of the palpus, complete hypostomal suture, absence of seta 8-M, and the absence of pecten spines and mid-ventral filaments on the siphon. Larvae have seta 13-T inserted on a common plate with setae 9–12-T, a feature which is otherwise only found in species of Kimia, Isostomyia and Trichoprosopon (Harbach et al., 2007; Campos & Zavortink, 2010). See Sabethini.
The phyletic affinities of Trichoprosopon are not definitely known. The genus was recovered as the basal clade within a monophyletic assemblage of New World sabethine genera in the phylogenetic analysis of Judd (1996) based on morphological data. Its relationships with other New World genera were unresolved in the analysis of Harbach & Kitching (1998), also based on morphological data, and was recovered as the sister of Johnbelkinia + Runchomyia when Onirion was included in their data set (Harbach & Peyton, 2000). When Harbach et al. (2007) included Kimia in the latter data set, Trichoprosopon was paired with the Old World Tripteroides in a sister relationship with Kimia. Speculation about a close relationship between Trichoprosopon and Tripteroides has existed since Lee (1946) could find no clear distinctions to separate them. The phylogenetic relationships of the species of Trichoprosopon are unknown.
Trichoprosopon are basically forest mosquitoes. Larvae are found in small containers of water. They have been collected from bamboo, fallen leaves and spathes, cacao pods, coconut shells, nuts (monkey pods), flower bracts of Heliconia, leaf axils, tree holes and artificial containers. Females of a few species are known to bite humans in shaded areas during the daytime.
Trichoprosopon digitatum is regarded as a potential vector of arboviruses to humans. Pixuna and Wyeomyia viruses have been isolated from this species; Bussuquara, Ilheus and St. Louis encephalitis viruses have been isolated from mixed pools that included this species.
Species of Trichoprosopon occur in Central and South America.
Lane, 1953 (in part, subgenus Trichoprosopon, keys, species descriptions, distributions); Forattini, 1965 (genus description, bionomics, distributions); Zavortink, 1979 (genus as currently defined, keys to genus groups); Darsie, 1985 (Argentina, keys); Harbach & Peyton, 1993 (comparative morphology of larval maxillae).
andinum Levi-Castillo, 1953
brevipes (da Costa Lima, 1931)
castroi Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
compressum Lutz, 1905
digitatum (Rondani, 1848)
evansae Antunes, 1942 (in Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)
lampropus (Howard, Dyar & Knab, 1913)
lanei (Antunes, 1937)
mixtli Rivera-García, Mendez-Andrade & Ibáñez-Bernal, 2023
mogilasium (Dyar & Knab, 1907)
obscurum Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
pallidiventer (Lutz, 1905)
simile Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
soaresi Lane & Cerqueira, 1942
townsendi Stone, 1944
trichorryes Dyar and Knab, 1907
vonplesseni (Dyar & Knab, 1906)
cotopaxense Leví-Castillo, 1953
hyperleucum (Martini, 1931)
