Toxorhynchites
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Toxorhynchites, also called elephant mosquitoes or mosquito eaters, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the largest known species of mosquito, at up to Template:Convert in length and Template:Convert in wingspan.<ref name=Cook2009>Template:Cite book</ref> It is among the few kinds of mosquito that do not consume blood. The adults subsist on carbohydrate-rich materials, such as honeydew, or saps and juices from damaged plants, refuse, fruit, and nectar.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Mating in mid-air, males and females synchronize their wing beats to the same frequency.<ref name="SecretLives">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Eggs are deposited by flinging them onto water surfaces while hovering.<ref name="SecretLives"/> They are either white or yellow in color, with an incubation period of 40–60 hours depending on the temperature. The older the female mosquito, the less likely the eggs will be healthy.<ref name="Collins & Blackwell 2000">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In contrast to blood-sucking species of mosquitoes, their larvae prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes and similar nektonic prey, making Toxorhynchites beneficial to humans.<ref name=Cook2009/> Living on this protein and fat rich diet, females have no need to risk their lives sucking blood in adulthood, having already accumulated the necessary materials for oogenesis and vitellogenesis. The larvae of one jungle variety, Toxorhynchites splendens, consume larvae of other mosquito species occurring in tree crevices, particularly Aedes aegypti.
Environmental scientists have suggested that Toxorhynchites mosquitoes be introduced to areas outside their natural range in order to fight dengue fever. This has been practiced historically, but errors have been made. For example, when intending to introduce T. splendens to new areas, scientists actually introduced T. amboinensis.<ref name="Collins & Blackwell 2000"/>
An extinct species T. mexicanus is known from Miocene age Mexican amber.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Species
The genus Toxorhynchites is divided into 4 subgenera and contains 90 species also including 1 extinct species:<ref>Toxorhynchites at the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.</ref>
Subgenus (Toxorhynchites)
- Toxorhynchites acaudatus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites albipes Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites amboinensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites angustiplatus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites ater Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites auranticauda Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites auripes Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites barbipes Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites bengalensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites bickleyi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites brevipalpis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites camaronis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites christophi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites coeruleus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites darjeelingensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites dundo Template:Small}
- Toxorhynchites edwardsi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites evansae Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites funestus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites gigantulus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites gravelyi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites indicus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites inornatus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites kempi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites klossi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites leicesteri Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites lewisi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites macaensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites magnificus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites manicatus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites manopi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites metallicus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites minimus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites nepenthicola Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites nepenthis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites nigripes Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites okinawensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites pendleburyi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites phytophagus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites quasiferox Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites rajah Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites ramalingami Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites rickenbachi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites rodhaini Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites speciosus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites splendens Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites sumatranus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites sunthorni Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites towadensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites tyagii Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites domrey Template:Small
Subgenus (Afrorhynchus)
- Toxorhynchites aeneus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites angolensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites brunhesi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites capelai Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites erythrurus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites fontenillei Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites grjebinei Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites helenae Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites kaimosi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites lemuriae Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites lutescens Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites madagascarensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites nairobiensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites nigeriensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites pauliani Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites ruwenzori Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites viridibasis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites wolfsi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites zairensis Template:Small
Subgenus (Ankylorhynchus)
- Toxorhynchites catharinensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites hexacis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites purpureus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites trichopygus Template:Small
Subgenus (Lynchiella)
- Toxorhynchites bambusicola Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites cavalierii Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites gerbergi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites grandiosus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites guadeloupensis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites haemorrhoidalis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites hypoptes Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites mariae Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites moctezuma Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites portoricensis Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Toxorhynchites pusillus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites rizzoi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites rutilus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites solstitialis Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites theobaldi Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites violaceus Template:Small
- Toxorhynchites caatingensis Template:Small