Shaggy-legged gallinipper

Appearance

''P. ciliata'' are relatively large mosquitoes compared to other species within the genus with a wingspan of 7-9mm. Males and females are large and yellow-colored. The proboscis is yellow with black tip. The abdomen is pale with a paler tip. The thorax is dark brown with a thin, bright yellow stripe which goes down the middle with two dark stripes on each side. The most common way to tell the ''P. ciliata'' apart from other species is their banded “shaggy” legs. Like all mosquitoes, the males have bushy antennae and the females do not.

Naming

Synonyms of the ''Psorophora ciliata'' are ''Culex ciliata'' , ''Culex conterrens'' , ''Culex molestus'' , ''Culex rubidus'' , ''Psorophora boscii'' , ''Psorophora ctites'' .

Behavior

Not only are these mosquitoes vicious and aggressive towards humans and other animals as adults but, ''P. ciliata'' larvae are known for preying on other mosquito species' larvae and even tadpoles. Campos, Fernandez, and Sy found in their 2004 study that ''P. ciliata'' were frequent predators to the mosquito species ''Ochlerotatus albifasciatus'' in Buenos Aires, Argentina and impact the populations of ''O. albifasciatus''.
Females are aggressive, prefer to feed on large mammals, and are most active during spring and summer in woodlands or fields during the day or night. They lay eggs either as single eggs on moist soil or will lay an egg raft on top of ephemeral pools of water. Typically, females in the genus are capable of laying their eggs on dry or damp land to hatch months or years later, depending on the species.