Psorophora ferox
{{Short description|Species of fly}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Psorophora ferox.jpg
| image_caption = Female Psorophora ferox
| taxon = Psorophora ferox
| authority = (von Humboldt, 1819)
| synonyms = *Culex ferox von Humboldt, 1819
- Culex posticatus Wiedemann, 1821
- Culex musicus Say (not Leach), 1827
- Janthinosoma echinata Grabham, 1906
- Janthinosoma vanhalli Dyar and Knab, 1906
- Janthinosoma terminalis Coquillett, 1906
- Janthinosoma sayi Dyar and Knab, 1906
- Janthinosoma sayi Theobald, 1907
- Janthinosoma coquilletti Theobald, 1907
- Janthinosoma sayi var. jamaicensis Theobald, 1907
- Aedes pazosi Pazos, 1908
- Janthinosoma centrale Brèthes, 1910
| synonyms_ref = Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (2025). Psorophora ferox species page. Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit Website, http://wrbu.si.edu/vectorspecies/mosquitoes/ferox, accessed on [25 April 2025].
}}
Psorophora ferox is a medium-sized mosquito native to much of North and South America. It inhabits wet woodlands, laying its eggs in temporary pools filled with rainwater. Larvae develop during summer in North America. They are aggressive feeders and give painful bites.Carpenter SJ, LaCasse, WJ. Mosquitoes of North America [California library reprint series edition 1974]. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: UC Press; 1955. 487 pp.
Holderman C, Connelly CR. Psorophora ferox [Internet]. Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida. 2015 Aug [cited 2016 Aug 1]. Available from: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/Psorophora_ferox.htm The mosquito is reported to be active during both day and night.Arnett R. Notes on the distribution, habits, and habitats of some Panama Culicines (Diptera: Culicidae), (continued). Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 1949;57(4):233-51.
Description
The adult's thorax is covered in dark scales with flecks of lighter yellowish scales. The abdomen is mostly dark-scaled dorsally, and yellowish ventrally. These yellowish scales form apicolateral triangular patches. The dorsum reflects a purple color. The legs are largely dark with white scales on the last two tarsal segments. The female's wings range from around 3.7-4.0 mm. The proboscis is long and dark.
Range
Medical significance
Ps. ferox carries a number of diseases, although it is not considered a major vector. It is known to carry Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE). It was found to be a minor vector of West Nile virus (WNV) in New York. Several viruses have been found in this mosquito in the Amazon, such as Una virus and Ilheus virus. In Central and South America, the mosquito carries the larvae of Dermatobia hominis, the human bot fly, a parasite whose larvae develop inside the flesh of a mammal host.Requena-Zúñiga, E., Chapilliquen-Alban, F., Leon-Cueto, W. et al. First record of Psorophora ferox (Diptera: Culicidae) infested with eggs of Dermatobia hominis (Diptera: Cuterebridae), in Ucayali: Peru. BMC Res Notes 17, 98 (2024). https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-024-06759-y