Wyeomyia smithii
| Wyeomyia smithii | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Wyeomyia smithii larva magnified 40× | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Culicidae |
| Subfamily: | Culicinae |
| Tribe: | Sabethini |
| Genus: | Wyeomyia |
| Species: | W. smithii |
| Binomial name | |
| Wyeomyia smithii Coquillett, 1901 | |
Wyeomyia smithii, the pitcher plant mosquito, is an inquiline mosquito that completes its pre-adult life cycle in the phytotelma (water-filled cavity) of the purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. In this microcommunity of bacteria, rotifers, protozoa, and midges, W. smithii is the top-level predator; its presence determines the bacterial species diversity within the pitcher.
W. smithii is not a pest mosquito in general. The northern US population does not consume blood at all, while the southern US populations only consume blood after laying an initial egg batch; even then they appear disinterested in feeding. In fact, it is the only known mosquito to have both obligatory biting and non-biting populations in the same species.