Common names: Northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens), southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus)
Culex pipiens. Illinois Department of Public Health.
- Geographic Distribution
Culex species mosquitoes are widely distributed in the United States, including throughout Indiana. The Culex species mosquito of greatest public health importance in Indiana is the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens.
- Life Cycle
Culex species mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in natural or artificial bodies of stagnant water containing organic material (e.g. failed septic systems, clogged gutters, waste tires, and containers laying around the home). The mosquito life cycle consists of four stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult). The life cycle usually takes 2–4 weeks to complete, but it can be completed in less than one week during the heat of summer. Culex species are most active at dusk and dawn during the mosquito season (in Indiana, this is usually from May to October). Only female mosquitoes bite animals and people.
Illustration: Scott Charlesworth, Purdue University.
- Commonly Associated Diseases
- Prevention
The best way to prevent diseases associated with Culex species mosquitoes is to avoid mosquito bites. Please see our mosquito bite prevention page for more information.
For more information about Culex species mosquitoes, please visit the Midwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease.