Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory

Abbreviation:

Lb

Variants:

Pl. labia; Adj. labial

Definition:

The fused third or posterior pair of gnathal appendages; divided into a distal prelabium, comprised of the prementum, ligula and labial palpi and a proximal postlabium (postmentum), which may be subdivided by a transverse suture into a distal mentum and a proximal submentum. In adult mosquitoes, the elongate stout part of the proboscis consisting of the prementum, which forms a sheath for the fascicle, a pair of short labella articulated with the distal end of the prementum and a short ligula between the labella. In mosquito larvae, the proximal limit of the labium is the imaginary pregular suture (see gular area), its lateral margin is arbitrarily taken as the hypostomal suture and its anterior limit is an imaginary transverse line behind the salivary orifice. In mosquito pupae, soft and slender and occurring on the posterior (upper) side of the proboscis; with the hypopharynx fused to its anterior surface.

Synonyms:

Adults: galea, labial sheath, lower lip, proboscis sheath, second maxillae, sheath, under lip. Pupae: labial sheath.