Culex pipiens

Culex pipiens

Description

4 - 10mm, brownish in colour, often found in houses and out buildings from May onwards. The genus has a rounded tip to the abdomen. There are bands of pale scales at the base of each abdominal tergite.

Images shown in a red box are likely to be this species but the ID has not been confirmed.

Similar Species

Females are identical to C. torrentium and can only be separated by DNA barcoding.

Males can be separated by genitalia examination.

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)
  • Rounded tip to the abdomen (Aedes have a pointed tip)
  • Pale transverse bands on front margins of abdominal segments
  • Fore claw without inner tooth
  • Prealar scales absent from side of thorax
Habitat

Eggs laid in ponds, marshes and water butts.

Adults reside in houses and outbuildings.

When to see it

May to September

UK Status

Relatively common and widespread.

VC55 Status

Rare or under-recorded.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

No additional images available for this species.

All NatureSpot records