Aedes, Meigen, 1818

Azari-Hamidian, Shahyad & Harbach, Ralph E., 2025, Updated checklist of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) known to occur in Iran, with updated keys to the genera, subgenera and species of Aedes, Zootaxa 5636 (1), pp. 102-120 : 107-109

Key to subgenera and species of Aedes : females

1 Proboscis not longer than forefemur...................................................................... 2

- Proboscis distinctly longer than forefemur.................................................................. 6

2(1) Scutum without white markings on dark brown or black background; scutellum without broad white scales; tarsomeres without pale rings; abdominal terga without transverse pale bands; maxillary palpus entirely dark-scaled (subgenus Aedes )........................................................................................... cinereus (see Note 10)

- Scutum with longitudinal white stripes or white spots on dark brown or black background; scutellum with broad white scales; tarsomeres with pale rings; abdominal terga with transverse pale bands; maxillary palpus with white scales.............. 3

3(2) All femora with preapical white bands; tibiae with median white bands; scutum with 2 or 3 pairs of white spots; cerci long; head with erect scales on vertex and occiput; proboscis with pale yellowish scales occupying about middle 0.33–0.40; lower mesepimeral setae present; lower proepisternal scales absent; acrostichal setae present (subgenus Fredwardsius )..... vittatus

- Femora without preapical white bands; tibiae without median white bands, may have a white stripe or speckles; scutum with or without one pair of white spots, but may have white lines or white scales; cerci very short, hardly visible from above; head with erect scales restricted to occiput; proboscis dark scaled; lower mesepimeral setae absent; lower proepisternal scales present; acrostichal setae absent (subgenus Stegomyia ).............................................................. 4

4(3) Scutum with a pair of submedian longitudinal white stripes, but without median (acrostichal) longitudinal white stripe, lateral white stripes broad continuing over transverse suture to posterior of scutum, with lyre-shaped markings; clypeus with white scale-patches; mesepimeron with 2 well-separated white scale-patches; anterior surface of midfemur with longitudinal white stripe from base to near apex; abdominal sterna III–V pale scaled.......................................... aegypti

- Scutum with a narrow median longitudinal white stripe extending from anterior margin to prescutellar area, where it forks to end at anterior margin of scutellum, lateral stripe narrow and short, not reaching middle of scutum and not continued over transverse suture, never lyre-shaped markings; clypeus without white scale-patches; mesepimeron with white scale-patches not separated, forming V-shaped white patch; anterior portion of midfemur without longitudinal white stripe, dark-scaled with apical pale scale-patch or with some scattered pale scales and a preapical spot; abdominal sterna III–V dark-scaled with basal pale bands........................................................................................... 5

5(4) Scutum without round pale spot; postspiracular area without scales; anterior portion of midfemur dark-scaled with apical pale scale-patch; fore- and midtarsomere ungues (claws) simple............................................. albopictus

- Scutum with 2 round pale spots on posterior part; postspiracular area with broad pale scales; anterior portion of midfemur with some scattered pale scales and a preapical pale spot; fore- and midtarsomere ungues toothed....... unilineatus (see Note 17)

6(1) Hindtarsomeres with narrow basal pale rings less than 0.25 length of tarsomere; abdominal terga with basal pale bands indented medially, with slightly bilobed appearance (subgenus Aedimorphus )......................................... vexans

- Hindtarsomeres with basal pale rings more than 0.25 length of tarsomere or with both basal and apical pale rings, or without rings; abdominal terga without medially indented basal pale bands, with or without bands or pattern of pale and dark scales. 7

7(6) Abdomen with prominent silvery-white lateral patches; cerci short, slightly protruding, blunt; sternum VIII not retracted into preceding segment; pedicel of antenna without scales; hindungues simple; lower mesepimeral setae absent (subgenus Dahliana )........................................................................................... 8

- Abdomen with lateral patches of yellowish or white scales; cerci longer, clearly protruding, tapering; sternum VIII retracted into preceding segment; pedicel of antenna with scales; hindungues toothed; lower mesepimeral setae present (except Ae. flavescens , but abdominal terga entirely pale) (subgenus Ochlerotatus )........................................... 9

8(7) At least some abdominal terga with complete basal pale bands; scutellum with broad white scales; metameron with patch of scales.......................................................................................... echinus

- Abdominal terga with basolateral pale patches only; scutellum with at least a few narrow ochreous scales usually more numerous on lateral lobes; metameron bare................................................................. geniculatus

9(7) Tarsi without rings of pale scales, some white scaling not forming rings may be present............................. 10

- Some tarsomeres with rings of pale scales................................................................. 11

10(9) Abdominal terga with mixture of dark and pale scales posteriorly; first antennal flagellomere without pale scales; hypostigmal area and postprocoxal membrane bare; maxillary palpus with scattered pale scales............................. detritus

- Abdominal terga entirely dark-scaled posteriorly or with few pale scales; first antennal flagellomere with white scales ventrally; hypostigmal area and postprocoxal membrane with pale scales; maxillary palpus with more pale scales and subapical palpomere covered with numerous pale scales............................................................... leucomelas

11(9) Hindtarsomeres with only basal pale rings; hindtarsomere 5 not entirely pale..................................... 12

- Hindtarsomeres with both basal and apical pale rings; hindtarsomere 5 entirely pale............................... 14

12(11) Abdominal terga with pale scales, without dark band, sometimes with a few dark scales; tarsomere 1 of all legs mostly pale except at apex; hindtarsomere 5 with basal pale band; wing mostly pale-scaled; proboscis with pale scales at mid-length and base; large species............................................................................. flavescens

- Abdominal terga with sublateral apical dark patches; tarsomere 1 of all legs mostly dark, but with broad basal pale bands; hindtarsomere 5 entirely dark; wing entirely or mostly dark-scaled; proboscis entirely dark; medium-size species........ 13

13(12) Metameron with scales; wing profusely speckled; tarsomere 4 of all legs pale basally......................... caballus

- Metameron bare; wing almost entirely dark-scaled; tarsomere 4 of all legs indistinctly pale basally................. chelli *

14(11) Proboscis entirely dark; abdominal terga with basal pale bands; wing entirely dark-scaled except for small patch at base of costa (C); lower proepisternal scales absent; metameron bare; tarsomere 5 of all legs pale; hypostigmal area bare (Pulcritarsis Complex) (see Note 12)............................................................................... 15

- Proboscis with pale scaling in middle; abdominal terga with median pale stripes, sometimes entirely pale-scaled; wing with dark and pale scales; lower proepisternal scales present; metameron with scales; only hindtarsomere 5 pale; hypostigmal scales present (Caspius Complex)............................................................................. 17

15(14) Femora and tibiae without scattered pale scales; scutum predominantly brown-scaled; erect scales of head entirely or predominantly dark............................................................................. berlandi *

- Femora and tibiae with scattered pale scales; scutum with anteromedian patch of golden scales; erect scales of head entirely or predominantly pale................................................................................... 16

16(15) Scutum with a narrow longitudinal stripe of white scales; basal pale band on abdominal tergum VI complete and normal.................................................................................................. asiaticus

- Scutum without longitudinal pale stripe; basal pale band on abdominal tergum VI very narrow................ pulcritarsis

17(14) Scutum golden-scaled with 2 narrow dorsocentral stripes of white scales reaching posterior margin; acrostichal setae absent; wing veins with dark and pale scales more or less evenly mixed; bases of costa (C) and subcosta (Sc) mostly dark-scaled; radius (R) and anal vein (1A) with dark and pale scales; pale scaling of abdominal terga mainly yellowish............ caspius s.l.

- Scutum with narrow to broad stripes of median golden (to dark brown) scales, reaching the prescutellar dorsocentral area, and white to creamy scales laterally; acrostichal setae present; wing veins predominantly with pale scales; bases of C and Sc and veins R and 1A predominantly white-scaled, occasionally with few dark scales; pale scaling of abdominal terga white................................................................................................... dorsalis *