The body color of Culex mosquito species is light-brown. They like to breed in the sewage water near houses in the larval stage and usually stay in the room where the conditions are dark, warm and wet. In addition to serve as a disease vector, Culex quinquefasciatus is the major nuisance species in many places including China and US. 

Our team has successfully established Cx. quinquefasciatus transinfected with a new Wolbachia strain for population suppression. Laven's sucess in field trial (see the figure below) provides a proof of concept that the population of this Culex species can be suppressed below the epidemic threshold by continuous releases of Wolbachia-infected males, resulting in reduces of mosquito-borne disease in the released areas. To protect birds from avian malaria, which has caused many birds species close to extinction, a large campaign has initiated to develop Wolbachia to eradicate Cx. quinquefasciatus in Hawaii.