Morphological Aberrations of the Dirofilariasis, Sindbis Fever and West Nile Fever Vector Culex Theileri (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iran

Culex theileri (Diptera: Culicidae) is a known vector of pathogens that cause dirofilariasis, Sindbis fever and West Nile fever in Iran. The species is one of the country’s most abundant and widely distributed species.

In order to conduct a faunistic and bionomic study of mosquitoes, larval collection was carried out in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province of western Iran using dipping method.

In total, some 2096 larvae of Cx. theileri were identified. Among the larvae, 1024 (48.9%) displayed aberra tions and anomalies in the development of cranial seta 1-C (preclypeal seta). Morphological aberrations and anomalies of seta 1-C in the third- and fourth-instar larvae and abdominal terga of the adults of Cx. theileri collected in Iran are discussed and illustrated.

More studies are needed throughout the distribution of Cx. theileri to analyze the variation of the species, especially using both morphological and molecular data.