Aedes (Stegomyia) ethiopiensis, Yiau-Min Huang, 2004

Yiau-Min Huang, 2004, The subgenus Stegomyia of Aedes in the Afrotropical Region with keys to the species (Diptera: Culicidae), Zootaxa 700, pp. 1-120 : 39-41

Aedes (Stegomyia) ethiopiensis New Species

( Figs. 18 B; 41B)

MALE. Head. Proboscis dark­scaled, without pale scales on ventral surface, slightly longer than forefemur; maxillary palpus 5­segmented, about as long as proboscis, predominantly dark, with a white band at base of palpomeres 2­5, those on palpomeres 4,5 dorsally incomplete; palpomeres 4,5 subequal, slender, dorsally curved and with only a few short setae; antenna plumose, shorter than proboscis; pedicel covered with white scales except on dorsal surface; clypeus bare; occiput with few erect forked scales; a row of broad white scales around eye margins; vertex with a median stripe of broad white scales, with broad dark scales on each side interrupted by lateral stripe of broad white scales, followed ventrally by a patch of broad white scales. Thorax. Scutum with narrow dark scales, and a distinct median white spot of narrow scales on anterior promontory, with a short median longitudinal stripe of narrow pale scales, reaching to prescutellar area, absent in anterior 0.66 of scutum; prescutellar line well developed, with narrow white scales, connecting with median longitudinal stripe at anterior margin of prescutellar area; fossal area with a large patch of broader crescent­shaped white scales; posterior dorsocentral pale yellow line of narrow scales present, reaching forward to the posterior end of fossal white patch; a patch of narrow white scales on lateral margin just in front of wing root; acrostichal setae absent; dorsocentral setae present; scutellum with broad white scales on all lobes and with a few broad dark scales at apex of midlobe; antepronotum with broad white scales; postpronotum with a patch of broad white scales and a few dark narrow scales dorsally; paratergite with broad white scales; postspiracular area without scales; hypostigmal area with white scales; patches of broad white scales on propleuron, subspiracular area, upper and lower portions of mesokatepisternum, and on mesepimeron; upper mesokatepisternal scale patch not reaching to anterior corner of mesokatepisternum; upper mesepimeral scale patch connecting with lower mesepimeral scale patch; lower mesepimeron without setae; metameron and mesopostnotum bare. Wing. With dark scales on all veins except for a minute basal spot of white scales on costa; cell R2 2.5 length of vein R2+3. Halter . With dark scales. Legs ( Fig. 18 B). Coxae with patches of white scales; white knee­spot absent on forefemur, present on mid­ and hindfemora; forefemur anteriorly with a narrow, white longitudinal stripe on ventral surface in basal 0.4; midfemur with a large, white spot on anterior surface about 0.53 from base; hindfemur anteriorly with a broad, white longitudinal stripe in basal 0.58 that widens about 0.3 from base; foretibia anteriorly dark with a basal white band; midtibia anteriorly dark, without a distinct white longitudinal stripe on ventral surface in basal area; hindtibia anteriorly dark, with a white longitudinal stripe on ventral surface in basal 0.33; fore­ and midtarsi with a basal white band on tarsomeres 1, 2; foretarsomere 1 with basal 0.18 white on dorsal surface; foretarsomere 2 with basal 0.20 white on dorsal surface; midtarsomere 1 with basal 0.30–0.33 white on dorsal surface; midtarsomere 2 with basal 0.4 white on dorsal surface; hindtarsus with a basal white band on tarsomeres 1–3, the ratio of length of white band on dorsal surface to the total length of tarsomere is 0.32, 0.33 and 0.34; hindtarsomere 4 all white except at extreme apex; hindtarsomere 5 all white except at apex on ventral surface; fore­ and midlegs with tarsal claws unequal, all simple; hindlegs with tarsal claws equal, simple. Abdomen. Tergum I with white scales on laterotergite; tergum II with basolateral white spots; terga III–VII each with a basal white band and basolateral white spots which do not connect with the basal white band; sterna IV­VI each with a basal white band; sternum VIII with basolateral white spots. Genitalia ( Fig. 41 B). Gonocoxite 2.3 times as long as wide (width measured 0.5 from base); claspette large, lobed, distal expanded portion square in dorsal aspect, with numerous simple setae on the expanded distal portion and bearing 4 strong, basally widened spine­like seta on the apical side; gonostylus simple, elongate, about 0.71 length of gonocoxite, with a short, stout claw process at apex; paraproct with a sternal arm; cercal setae absent; apical margin of tergum IX deeply concave medially with 4–5 median size setae on lateral lobe; sternum IX without setae.

FEMALE, PUPA and LARVA. Unknown.

TYPE DATA. Holotype male (MEP Acc. 723, No data except Ethiopia), with genitalia on slide (MEP Acc. 723, 80/166), ETHIOPIA. Deposited in the Ecologie Virale, Institut Pasteur, Paris [PIP].

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. ETHIOPIA. Manera (7° 40' N, 36° 50' E), Gamma, Goffa Prov., 16­X­1963, P. Neri, No. 684, 1 M, 1 M gen (MEP Acc. 1036, 97/13) [ DVBD].

DISTRIBUTION. This species is known only from Ethiopia.

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION. Aedes ethiopiensis is a member of the poweri group. The poweri group can be distinguished from other Stegomyia species by the following combination of characters: (1) scutum with a distinct patch of broader crescent­shaped white or pale yellow scales on fossal area; (2) scutum without a pair of submedian stripes; (3) white knee­spot absent on forefemur, present at least on midfemur; (4) midfemur with a large, white spot on anterior surface; (5) hindtibia anteriorly dark, without or with a white stripe on ventral surface in basal area and (6) hindtarsomere 4 almost all white to all white.

Aedes ethiopiensis has the scutum with an anteromedial white spot of narrow scales, hindtibia with a white stripe on ventral surface in basal area and hindtarsomere 4 all white except at extreme apex and hindtarsomere 5 all white on dorsal surface, and can thus be easily distinguished from all other species of the poweri group except Ae. usambara .

The adult male of Ae. ethiopiensis is very similar to that of Ae. usambara , but can be distinguished from Ae. usambara by the midtibia without a white stripe on ventral surface in basal area. In Ae. usambara the midtibia has a white stripe on ventral surface in basal area.

The male genitalia of Ae. ethiopiensis are differentiated from all other species in the poweri group by the claspette, which has the distal expanded portion square in dorsal aspect, with numerous simple setae on the expanded distal portion and bearing 4 strong, basally widened, spine­like setae on the apical side, and by the apical margin of tergum IX, which is deeply concave medially and has 4–5 median size setae on each lateral lobe.

The male genitalia of Ae. ethiopiensis are extremely similar to those of Ae. usambara in having the claspette with distal expanded portion square in dorsal aspect, but can be distinguished from those of Ae. usambara by the claspette with 4 strong, basally widened, spine­like setae on the apical side. In Ae. usambara , the claspette has 9 strong, basally widened, spine­like setae on the apical side and mesal side.

BIONOMICS. Unknown.

MEDICAL IMPORTANCE. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Aedes (Stg.) mpusiensis — A, male (Holotype) fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view); Aedes (Stg.) ethiopiensis — B, male (Holotype) fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view); Aedes (Stg.) hogsbackensis — C, male (Holotype) fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view).

FIGURE 41. Aedes (Stg.) usambara — A, male genitalia. Aedes (Stg.) ethiopiensis — B, male genitalia;