Toxorhynchites rajah
Encyclopedia
Toxorhynchites rajah is a species of mosquito
in the genus
Toxorhynchites
. It is endemic
to Sabah
, Malaysian Borneo. In its larva
l stage, T. rajah is found exclusively in the pitchers of Nepenthes rajah
(hence the name), a species of pitcher plant
. As such, it is considered a nepenthebiont.
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Toxorhynchites
Toxorhynchites
Toxorhynchites, also known as mosquito hawks or mosquito eaters, are a cosmopolitan genus. The genus includes the largest known species of mosquitoes, but in spite of their alarming appearance, they are among the few kinds of mosquito that do not suck blood...
. It is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, Malaysian Borneo. In its larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l stage, T. rajah is found exclusively in the pitchers of Nepenthes rajah
Nepenthes rajah
Nepenthes rajah is an insectivorous pitcher plant species of the Nepenthaceae family. It is endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Nepenthes rajah grows exclusively on serpentine substrates, particularly in areas of seeping ground water where the...
(hence the name), a species of pitcher plant
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
. As such, it is considered a nepenthebiont.