Anopheles walkeri
Anopheles walkeri
Anopheles walkeri resemble An. quadrimaculatus, but are somewhat darker, have narrow white rings on their palpi, and their wing spots are less pronounced than those of the An. quadrimaculatus. Anopheles walkeri have white knee spots on the tips of their femurs. This species of Anopheles also closely resembles the An. punctipennis. A typically rare species, An. walkeri are mainly found from Louisiana to Minnesota (having 4 generations per year in Minnesota) and eastward, but have been found as far west as Nebraska and Kansas. A small number has been found in eastern South Dakota. An. walkeri breeds in freshwater marshes containing aquatic vegetation and constant water levels. Larvae of this species are often found in sunny marshes or along the edges of lakes; however, they are unable to survive in water which is not kept at a constant level. This species’ habitats include deep woods by damp logs above water levels; dense strands of cutgrass; damp barns; under bridges; near mud and in spring houses. Females feed on humans and are vicious biters that bite in the evening and long after dusk. Although specimens have been infected with malaria parasites, this species is not known to be a transmitter of malaria under natural conditions.
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