Sabethes (Peytonulus) luxodens, a new species of Sabethini (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ecuador.

The adult male, larva and pupa of Sabethes (Peytonulus) luxodens, a new species from Ecuador, are described. The species is distinguished from Sabethes aurescens (Lutz), which it closely resembles in all life stages.     

Phylogeny of the Pyretophorus Series of Anopheles subgenus Cellia (Diptera: Culicidae)

A cladistic analysis based on morphological characters is presented for the Pyretophorus Series of subgenus Cellia of Anopheles. The cibarial armature was investigated for the first time since the pioneering work of Christophers (1933) , which is still used to define taxonomic series within Cellia, and for the first time ever using scanning electron microscopy. Christophers’ observations of characters of the cibarial armature were corroborated and several novel characters discovered. Despite difficulties in delimiting and encoding morphological characters at the species level, the analysis provided insights into relationships within the Pyretophorus Series. The data support the monophyly of the Series and establish the Oriental species as a monophyletic group. The Afrotropical species are basal and paraphyletic relative to the Oriental species, with Anopheles christyi placed in the most basal position. The pattern of relationships suggests that the capacity to transmit malaria is an ancestral condition subsequently lost independently in several lineages.     

The subgenus Scaptodrosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Four major subgenera, Drosophila, Sophophora, Hirtodrosophila and Scaptodrosophila, and several minor subgenera, have been recognized in the genus Drosophila. The hitherto little studied subgenus Scaptodrosophila, possessing a complicated synonymy, contains 144 named species, or about 11% of the total described in the genus; it is likely that many more Scaptodrosophila species await discovery. Scaptodrosophila probably originated in tropical Asia, and the greatest Scaptodrosophila faunas occur in Asia, south-east Asia, New Guinea, Australia and Africa, with very few species in north and south America and Europe. Scaptodrosophila species usually possess a pair of prescutellar bristles, a propleural bristle, and three large subequal sternopleural bristles; other morphological features are more variable. Ecological information concerning the majority of Scaprodrosophila species is scanty or absent, but known feeding or breeding sites include tree sap, fungi, fruit, flowers and 1eaf litter; larvae of at least one species are gall forming in plant tissues. The establishment of species groups is complicated by lack of detailed knowledge of many species, but six groups containing four or more species are recognized.     

Cladistic analysis of the subgenus Anopheles (Anopheles) Meigen (Diptera: Culicidae) based on morphological characters

In the present study, we used morphological characters to estimate phylogenetic relationships among members of the subgenus Anopheles Meigen. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out for 36 species of Anopheles (Anopheles). An. (Stethomyia) kompi Edwards, An. (Lophopodomyia) gilesi (Peryassú), Bironella hollandi Taylor, An. (Nyssorhynchus) oswaldoi (Peryassú) and An. (Cellia) maculatus Theobald were employed as outgroups. One hundred one characters of the external morphology of the adult male, adult female, fourth-instar larva, and pupa were scored and analyzed under the parsimony criterion in PAUP. Phylogenetic relationships among the series and several species informal groups of Anopheles (Anopheles) were hypothesized. The results suggest that Anopheles (Anopheles) is monophyletic. Additionally, most species groups included in the analysis were demonstrated to be monophyletic.     

Anopheles halophylus,a new species of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Brazil

Anopheles halophylus n.sp. is described from Central Brazil. It is distinguished from An. triannulatus (Neiva and Pinto) by morphological and morphometric characters, especially in the male genitalia, larva and egg. Illustrations of the male and female genitalia, egg, larva and pupa, and discussion of the status of names associated with An. triannulatus are provided.     

Molecular variation and phylogeny of members of the Minimus Group of Anopheles subgenus Cellia (Diptera: Culicidae)

Intra‐ and interspecific molecular variation were investigated in four members of the Minimus Group of Anopheles subgenus Cellia: An. aconitus, An. varuna, An. minimus A and An. minimus C. DNA sequence divergence between these species at a mitochondrial locus (cytochrome oxidase II) and at three nuclear loci (ITS2 and D3 regions of rDNA and guanylate cyclase) is reported. The data confirm the presence of two cryptic species, A and C, within An. minimus and provide evidence for the existence of a third species. Anopheles minimus A and C are estimated to have diverged 0.57–1.5 million years ago. The discrepancy observed using the guanylate cyclase intron, which is the fastest evolving region known in the Gambiae Complex but is relatively slowly evolving in the Minimus Group, is discussed. The long‐term effective population sizes of An. minimus A and C are estimated to be in their millions, with that of species A being approximately twice the size of species C. This implies that An. minimus C has a much wider distribution than currently recognized, with possible widespread implications for vector control. No evidence was found for population structuring in either species A or C: there was greater variation of mitochondrial haplotypes within than among localities. The phylogenetic relationships of Oriental members of the Myzomyia Series are reconstructed.     

The mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Tabasco,Mexico

To document and update the mosquito species of Tabasco, Mexico, field collection trips were conducted in the two physiographic regions of Tabasco: the coastal plain of the southern gulf and the mountains of Chiapas and Guatemala. Mosquitoes were collected as immature and adult stages during the dry and rainy seasons from 2014 through 2015. Additionally, the Reference Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance (CAIM‐InDRE) containing mosquitoes of Tabasco was re‐examined. In total, 4,913 specimens were collected and examined, which are divided into seven tribes, 18 genera, 27 subgenera, and 104 species. Of these, one genus (Shannoniana Lane and Cerqueira), two subgenera (Georgecraigius Reinert, Harbach and Kitching, and Carrollia Lutz), and 21 species are new records for the mosquito fauna of Tabasco. Culex metempsytus Dyar is a new record for Mexico and Wyeomyia jocosa (Dyar and Knab) is removed from the Mexican mosquito fauna. Seventeen species historically reported were not found in the field collections conducted here. Taxonomic notes, new distribution limits, and comments about the medical importance of species of mosquitoes of Tabasco are discussed. Tabasco is the second state in Mexico with the largest mosquito richness (104 species), followed by Veracruz with 139 species.     

Systematic studies on Anopheles galvaoi Causey,Deane & Deane from the subgenus Nysssorhynchus blanchard (Diptera: Culicidae)

Anopheles galvaoi, a member of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus, is redescribed based on morphological characters of the adults male and female, fourth-instar larva and pupa. Female, male genitalia, larval and pupal stages are illustrated. Data about medical importance, bionomics, and distribution are given based on literature records. Adult female of An. galvaoi can be easily misidentified as An. benarrochi Gabald n and An. aquasalis Curry. A few characters are indicated for identifying female and immatures of An. galvaoi. Phylogenetic relationships among An. galvaoi and six other species of the Oswaldoi Subgroup are estimated using COII mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA gene sequences. Lectotype of An. galvaoi, an adult female from Rio Branco, State of Acre, is invalidated.     

Preoviposition drinking byCulex restuans (Diptera: Culicidae)

In the field 92.9% of female Culex restuansdrank from the oviposition site before beginning to oviposit. Individuals that drank did so an average of 6.4 times, spending an average of 114.5 s in this behavior. Individuals prevented from drinking by sealing their proboscises either failed to lay or laid abnormal egg rafts. Drinking does not appear to be related to evaluation of the ovisite. Instead, it may be necessary for emptying the entire clutch of eggs from the ovarioles and may also assist in the construction of a normal egg raft.     

The salivary gland chromosomes of Culex (Culex) vishnui (Culicidae: Diptera)

Culex vishnui is a member of the vishnui group comprising six closely resembling species. The salivary gland chromosomes are longer than those found in Anopheles, more fragile and spread with difficulty. The banding pattern is compared with that of Culex pipiens pipiens and Culex pipiens fatigans. Homologies are closest between vishnui and fatigans. The incidence of asynapsis between the homologues is very high.     

Afrotropical Polypedilum subgenus Tripodura, with a review of the subgenus (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Vårdal, H., Bjørlo, A. & Sæther, O. A. (2002). Afrotropical Polypedilum subgenus Tripodura, with a review of the subgenus (Diptera: Chironomidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 31, 331–402. A subgeneric diagnosis for all stages of the subgenus Tripodura Townes, 1 945 of the genus Polypedilum Kieffer, 1 912 is given. Nine new Afrotropical species of Tripodura are described: P.(T.)chelum Vårdal sp. n., P.(T.)amplificatus Bjørlo sp. n., P.(T.)patulum Bjørlo sp. n., P.(T.)spinalveum Vårdal sp. n., P.(T.)ewei Bjørlo sp. n., P.(T.)ogoouense Bjørlo sp. n., P.(T.)akani Bjørlo sp. n., P.(T.)dagombae Bjørlo sp. n., and P.(T.)amputatum Bjørlo sp. n.; all as male imagines only. P.(T.)alboguttatum Kieffer, P.(T.)albosignatum Kieffer, P.(T.)tropicum Kieffer, P.(T.)pruina Freeman, P.(T.)quinqueguttatum Kieffer, P.(T.) aegyptium Kieffer, P.(T.) tridens Freeman, P.(T.)allansoni Freeman, P.(T.)longicrus Kieffer, P.(T.)annulatipes Kieffer and P.(T.)abyssiniae Kieffer are re‐described as male and female imagines, while P.(T.)majiis Lehmann, P.(T.)subovatum Freeman, P.(T.)griseoguttatum Kieffer, P.(T.)aferum Lehmann and P.(T.)kijabense Freeman are re‐described as male imagines only. Keys to the male and the known female imagines of the 30 Afrotropical species in the subgenus are presented. A phylogenetic analysis based on all available information on Tripodura from all over the world (135 species) is presented and discussed. The monophyly of the subgenus Tripodura is confirmed. The subgenus can be divided into 20 groups with the acifer group forming the sister group of two larger assemblages of groups in the order acifer (titicacae (ginzansecundum ((aferum (ewei (malickianum (floridense (halterale, pullum)))))) (subovatum (labeculosum ((parascalaenum (allansoni (apfelbecki (udominatum, parvum))))) ((((alboguttatum, aegyptium) quinqueguttatum) annulatipes)). Only in the titicacae, halterale, pullum and apfelbecki groups are the larvae of more than one species described, while one larva is known in each of the subovatum, parascalaenum, aegyptium and quinqueguttatum groups. Three or more pupae are known only from the halterale, pullum, apfelbecki and aegyptium groups. Thus, the tentative nature of the group divisions is obvious. Geographical co‐evolutionary analyses (Brooks parsimony analyses) of the subgenus as a whole and of the major groups are performed and the areas most likely to be part of the original areas estimated. Most probably, eastern South America and Africa were part of the ancestral area. There are multiple sister‐group relationships and generalized tracks between South and East Asia and Africa, between Africa and the Palaearctic region, between South and East Asia, between tropical Brazil and Africa, between East Asia and North America across a former Beringian land bridge, and between the Indo‐West Pacific region and New Zealand, but no evidence for transantarctic relationships.     

云南伊蚊属奈蚊亚属一新种及二新记录种记述

报道了云南省伊蚊属奈蚊亚属Aedes subgen. Kenknightia Reinert,1990至今所发现的种类,其中包括1新种类异形伊蚊Ae.（Ken.） dissmilierodes sp. Nov.和2种中国新记录,讨论了新种与近缘种的鉴别特征,简述了2种新记录的形态特征。新种模式标本保存于云南省疟疾防治研究所。     

The hatching stimulus for eggs of Aedes punctor (Diptera: Culicidae)

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Eggs of the British woodland mosquito, Aedes punctor (Kirby), were subjected to a variety of media in an attempt to determine the hatching stimulus.
• 2 It was found that continuous immersion in distilled water evoked almost no hatching (0.2%); intermittent removal from the water gave low hatching (8.9%).
• 3 Slow deoxygenation of the medium by either bacterial growth or the introduction of nitrogen produced the highest level of hatching (26.0–90.0%). Eggs of A.punctor were shown to hatch within a 4 h period of the oxygen concentration in the medium reaching zero.

     

Les Toxorhynchites Theobald de Madagascar (Diptera: Culicidae)

L’analyse taxonomique de quelques dizaines d’adultes de Toxorhynchites provenant de Madagascar et appartenant à la collection de l’IRD (Centre de Montpellier), a montré que tous les spécimens faisaient partie du sous-genre Afrorhynchus Ribeiro, 1991 qui domine sur le continent africain. Ces Toxorhynchites de Madagascar présentent aussi les caractères du nouveau groupe Pauliani que nous décrivons. Ils constituent un ensemble d’espèces jumelles dont la morphologie externe est très homogène. En utilisant quelques nouveaux caractères présents sur les genitalia mâles ainsi que des diagrammes de dispersion, nous avons mis en évidence cinq espèces nouvelles qui viennent s’ajouter à Tx. (Afr.) pauliani (Doucet, 1951). Il s’agit de: Tx. (Afr.) madagascarensis n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) brunhesi n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) grjebinei n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) fontenillei n. sp. et Tx. (Afr.) lemuriae n. sp. Des clés d’identification des mâles, des femelles, des larves et des nymphes sont proposées. En conclusion, nous avançons quelques considérations théoriques concernant la systématique et l’évolution des Toxorhynchites.     

Coprophagy in larval Culiseta bergrothi (Diptera: Culicidae)

Two experimental groups of Culiseta bergrothi Edw. larvae were kept under laboratory conditions, but in water from the breeding locality. The ‘donors’ were fed on a suspension of charcoal powder and baker's yeast; the ‘receivers’ had access to the faecal pellets of the donors. After 1.5 hours the gut of almost all receivers was more or less filled with charcoal particles. The possible consequences of the added yeast suspension to food choice and feeding behaviour are discussed.