Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius ( Pallas, 1771 )

Kirik, Heli, Tummeleht, Lea & Kurina, Olavi, 2022, Rediscovering the mosquito fauna (Diptera: Culicidae) of Estonia: an annotated checklist with distribution maps and DNA evidence, Zootaxa 5094 (2), pp. 261-287 : 266

5. Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius ( Pallas, 1771)

( Fig. 2D )

Published source: Remm (1957: 152).

Voucher material: 1♀, Vanajõe (58° 53′ 16″ N, 22° 26′ 37″ E), 20–21.VIII.2015, L. Tummeleht leg., H. Kirik det., Mosquito Magnet trap, IZBE0210185 , GenBank : OK465142 ; 1♂, Kerema (58° 53′ 26″ N, 26° 56′ 52″ E), 05–19.VII.2009, R . Miller leg., H. Kirik det., Malaise trap, IZBE0210187 ; 1♀, Vanajõe (58° 53′ 16″ N, 22° 26′ 37″ E), 21–22.VIII.2015, L. Tummeleht leg., H. Kirik det., Mosquito Magnet trap, IZBE0210186 .

Comment: 206 mosquitoes (0.9% of all specimens collected) were identified as Ae. caspius . Aedes caspius is a halophilic species mainly found in Estonia near the brackish water of the Baltic Sea. These mosquitoes are common and at times numerous near the coastline, but are rarely found further inland. Thus, their relatively low numbers collected in this study is due to collection bias. Aedes caspius appears to be active throughout summer.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Maps showing the historic and current collection points of individual mosquito species in Estonia. A, Aedes (Aedes) cinereus; B, Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans; C, Aedes annulipes group; D, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius; E, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) cataphylla; F, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) communis; G, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) cyprius; H, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) diantaeus. Numbers indicate original data and correspond to on the numbers in Fig. 1. Red diamonds indicate localities collected by Remm (1955). In cases where Remm indicated the species was widely distributed in Estonia, the area is shaded in gray.