Culex pipiens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Culex pipiens is a species of mosquito commonly referred to as the common house mosquito or northern house mosquito. Native to Africa, Asia and Europe, it is now widely distributed in temperate regions on every continent except Antarctica and is one of the most common mosquitoes found in human habitats in temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. A major vector of some viruses, it can be abundant in cities, especially those with poor wastewater management. It is the most common mosquito to the northern regions of the US. Culex pipiens is the type species for the genus Culex.
Culex pipiens includes two morphologically indistinguishable forms, Culex pipiens form pipiens and Culex pipiens form molestus. Despite their morphological similarity, the two forms exhibit striking ecological and behavioral differences. Form pipiens lives above ground and primarily feeds on birds. Form molestus, also known as the London Underground mosquito, can live under ground and frequently bites mammals including humans. The two forms are largely genetically isolated in Europe, but have been reported to hybridize in the United States. Importantly, hybrids appear to have intermediate feeding behavior, biting both humans and birds, and are implicated as a bridge vector in the maintenance and transmission of the West Nile virus from birds to humans.
In Californian molestus populations, it was shown that most females of C. pipiens do not enter reproductive diapause during the winter (homodynamy), which differs from other mosquito species, such as C. stigmatosoma or C. tarsalis. Most of them overwinter in a stage of host-seeking arrest. The practice of overwintering tends to vary based on location, and in effect temperature and the period of time per day an organism receives sunlight, also known as the photoperiod. Parous females may overwinter together with nulliparous. Overwintering mosquitoes are considered as hibernating by mosquito scientists.
Typically, mosquitoes copulate when temperatures are the most temperate, and many species begin breeding when temperatures reach 50 °F (10 °C). Because of this temperature condition, mosquito breeding seasons vary by region and climate characteristics of a given area. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tel Aviv | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 2 | Kaohsiung | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 3 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common House Mosquito sighting in Kaohsiung on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 182nd most-seen of the 218 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February, May and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common House Mosquito in Kaohsiung on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June–July and September–December, the lowest months.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Common House Mosquito sightings, Kaohsiung ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
Same family: Culicidae
The closest relatives of the Common House Mosquito that you can see in Kaohsiung (family Culicidae, Mosquitoes) are Yellow Fever Mosquito (about 10%) and Asian Tiger Mosquito (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common House Mosquito is recorded against all the insects logged in Kaohsiung (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
