Male Mosquito (Culex pipiens)

Having a worldwide distribution, the Culex genus of mosquitoes is found on every continent except Antarctica, and includes 14 species in the United States and Canada. Commonly known as the house mosquito, the blood-sucking insect feeds on warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, birds, and horses, and is a known carrier of several serious pathogens including viral encephalitis, filiarsis, and West Nile virus.