Aedes (Stegomyia) gandaensis, 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 : 41-43

Aedes (Stegomyia) gandaensis New Species

( Fig. 26 A)

FEMALE. Head. Proboscis dark­scaled, without pale scales on ventral surface, slightly longer than forefemur; maxillary palpus 0.28 length of proboscis, dark, with white scales on apical 0.33; pedicel covered with white scales except on dorsal and ventral surfaces; 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 a lateral stripe of broad white scales, followed ventrally by a patch of broad white scales. Thorax. Scutal markings as in Aedes woodi Edwards except most of the scales on anterior median area rubbed off; scutum with narrow dark scales, a narrow submedian longitudinal stripe of narrow yellowish scales on each side of midline, reaching to prescutellar area and connecting with prescutellar line of narrow yellowish scales; fossal area with a patch of broader, crescent­shaped white scales; posterior dorsocentral yellowish lines present, reaching to posterior 0.33 of scutum; 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 midlobe, with broad dark scales on lateral 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 narrow dark scales dorsally; paratergite with broad white scales; postspiracular area without scales; hypostigmal area without 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 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 R2+3. Halter . With dark scales. Legs ( Fig. 26 A). 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 0.33; midfemur with a large white spot on anterior surface about 0.60 from base; hindfemur anteriorly with a broad white longitudinal stripe in basal 0.60 that widens at base; foretibia anteriorly dark, with a basal white band; mid­ and hindtibiae anteriorly dark; hindtibia without a white stripe at, or near base; foretarsus with a basal white band on tarsomeres 1–5, the ratio of length of white band on dorsal surface to the total length of tarsomere is 0.20, 0.66, 0.50, 0.33, and 0.66; midtarsus with a basal white band on tarsomeres 1–5, the ratio of length of white band on dorsal surface to the total length of tarsomere is 0.25, 0.50, 0.30, 0.20, and 0.66; hindtarsus with a basal white band on tarsomeres 1–4, the ratio of length of white band on dorsal surface to the total length of tarsomere is 0.25, 0.33, 0.60, and 0.60; hindtarsomere 5 all white; fore­ and midlegs with tarsal claws equal, all toothed; hindleg with tarsal claws equal, both simple. Abdomen. Tergum I with white scales on laterotergite; tergum II with basolateral white spots; terga III­VII each with a basal white band and basolateral white spots not connecting with basal white band; sterna III­VI each with a basal white band; sternum VII with basolateral white spots; segment VIII largely retracted.

MALE, PUPA and LARVA. Unknown.

TYPE DATA. Holotype female (MEP Acc. 719/ Kenya, Ganda (3° 13' S, 40° 03' E), 2:IX:1953, E.C.C. Van Someren/ Taken biting in bush at 8­12 A.M. with 37 Aedes woodi and 3 Aedes simpsoni ), Ganda, KENYA, 2­IX­1953 (E.C.C. Van Someren). Deposited in the British Museum (Natural History), London [ BMNH].

DISTRIBUTION. This species is presently known only from the Type locality, Ganda, Coast Region of Kenya.

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION. Aedes gandaensis is a member of the simpsoni group. The simpsoni group can be distinguished from other Stegomyia species by the following combination of characters: (1) scutum with a distinct patch of broader crescent­shaped white scales on fossal area; (2) scutum with a pair of submedian stripes; (3) white kneespot absent on forefemur, present on mid­ and hindfemora and (4) midfemur with a large, white spot on anterior surface.

Aedes gandaensis has the scutellum with broad white scales on the midlobe and broad dark scales on the lateral lobe, and can thus be easily distinguished from all other species of the simpsoni group except Ae. woodi . It is extremely similar to that of Ae. woodi with which it has been confused and misidentified, but can be distinguished from Ae. woodi by the presence of a basal white band on fore­ and midtarsomeres 3–5 and hindtarsomere 4 with basal 0.60 white on dorsal surface. In Ae. woodi , the fore­ and midtarsi have a basal white band only on tarsomeres 1, 2 and hindtarsomere 4 is entirely dark.

Based on the present collection data, Ae. gandaensis occurs in habitats with altitudes of <166 m in areas of yearly rainfall of 114.30 cm.

BIONOMICS. The holotype female was taken biting man in the bush between 0800­1200 h, in Ganda, Kenya, along with females of the Aedes simpsoni complex and Aedes woodi . However, it should be noted that 3 Aedes simpsoni mentioned on the type­label are Aedes bromeliae (Theobald) (see Huang 1979).

MEDICAL IMPORTANCE. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Aedes (Stg.) gandaensis — A, female (Holotype) fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view); Aedes (Stg.) woodi — B, female fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view); C, male fore­, mid­ and hindlegs (anterior view).