Kitching, Reinert & Harbach & Kitching, 2006, Reinert & Harbach & Kitching, 2006

Reinert, John F., Harbach, Ralph E. & Kitching, Ian J., 2006, Phylogeny and classification of Finlaya and allied taxa (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini) based on morphological data from all life stages, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 148 (1), pp. 1-101 : 64-66

COLLESSIUS REINERT, HARBACH & KITCHING ,

GEN. NOV.

Type species: Ochlerotatus macfarlanei Edwards, 1914 .

Females

Head: Vertex with decumbent scales narrow, curved, pale and dark; erect forked scales numerous on occiput and vertex; ocular line narrow, with narrow, curved, pale scales; normally 4 or 5 interocular setae (occasionally 6 in Co. elsiae elsiae ); eyes contiguous or separated by less than width of 1 eye facet; antennal pedicel with small, broad, pale scales on mesal surface; clypeus bare; maxillary palpus dark-scaled with apex pale-scaled; proboscis longer than forefemur, dark-scaled with patch of pale scales on ventral and lateral surfaces near midlength (Assemblage A) or entirely dark-scaled (Assemblage B).

Thorax: Scutum covered with narrow, curved scales except for bare median prescutellar area, scales sparse on scutal fossa, scales dark except for narrow, pale-scaled stripes on acrostichal (anterior and posterior) area, dorsocentral (anterior and posterior) area, outer and posterior margins of scutal fossa, outer margins of prescutellar area mesad of setae, and longitudinal stripe on supraalar area; setae well developed on anterior promontory, acrostichal (anterior and posterior) area, antedorsocentral area, dorsocentral (anterior and posterior) area, scutal fossa, antealar and supraalar areas, and lateral margins of prescutellar area; scutellum with narrow or broad scales on midlobe, narrow scales on lateral lobes; antepronota widely separated, with broad, pale scales, several setae; postpronotum with scales, few posterior setae; prespiracular setae absent; hypostigmal area bare; postspiracular area with scales, several setae; subspiracular area with pale scales ( Co. banksi without or with few scales, Co. pseudotaeniatus without scales); upper proepisternum with pale scales, several setae, lower area bare; paratergite narrow, with pale scales; mesokatepisternum with broad, pale scales in upper and lower patches, several upper and posterior setae; prealar area with broad, pale scales on upper (absent in Co. banksi ) and lower areas, numerous upper setae; mesepimeron with 1 patch of broad, pale scales on upper area and extending onto middle, several upper setae, lower setae absent.

Wing: Dark-scaled with elongate, narrow, pale-scaled patch at or near base of anterior margin of costa; upper calypter with several setae on margin; alula with row of narrow, dark scales on margin; remigium with 2 or 3 setae distally on dorsal surface.

Legs: Midfemur with narrow, longitudinal stripe of white-scales from base to or near apex on middle of anterior surface; hindfemur with subapical white scales but apex fringed with dark scales; hindtarsomeres 1 and 2 with narrow, white-scaled, basal and apical bands; fore- and midtarsi with 2 equal ungues, each with 1 tooth; hindtarsi with 2 equal ungues, simple.

Abdomen: Tergum I with pale-scaled patch on lateral tergite; terga II – V with narrow, pale-scaled, basal bands.

Genitalia: Tergum VIII with apex broadly rounded, numerous broad scales on approximately distal 0.30–0.40; sternum VIII sclerotized, width greater than length, apical margin with moderate, median emargination separating broadly rounded lobes ( Co. hatorii and Assemblage B with apex nearly straight), numerous short, lanceolate scales and occasionally 1– 3 broad scales ( Co. hatorii and Assemblage B without lanceolate scales, but with several to numerous broad scales); seta 2-S inserted posterior to 1-S; tergum IX comprising single, moderately to heavily pigmented, elongate plate with median emargination apically in Assemblage A or with plate short and wide in Assemblage B, several setae on each side of midline distally; postgenital lobe relatively long, narrow, apex normally flat or with very shallow, median emargination ( Co. hatorii and Assemblage B with postgenital lobe somewhat shorter and wider), several setae distally; upper vaginal sclerite small to moderate size; lower vaginal sclerite absent; insula liplike, with several setae in lateral patches; cercus moderately long, moderately wide throughout length, apex broadly rounded, scales absent (Assemblage B with cercus somewhat shorter and with scales); 3 spermathecal capsules.

Males

Head: Maxillary palpus with 5 palpomeres, slightly shorter than proboscis, palpomeres 4 and 5 slightly down-turned, palpomeres 3 (distal part) and 4 with moderate number of long setae ventrally; antennal flagellar whorls with numerous long setae directed dorsally and ventrally.

Legs: Fore- and midtarsi with 2 unequal ungues, larger unguis with 2 teeth, smaller unguis with 1 tooth; hindtarsus with 2 equal ungues, simple.

Genitalia: Tergum IX with poorly sclerotized, moderate lobe bearing several moderately long, slender setae on each side of midline of posterior margin; gonocoxite moderately long, relatively narrow throughout length, dorsal surface without apical and basal lobes on mesal margin, with few moderately long and long, relatively slender setae scattered over dorsal and ventral surfaces, mesal surface membranous, lateral, outer part of dorsal and most of ventral surfaces with broad scales; gonostylus attached at apex of gonocoxite, long, narrow, slightly curved, gonostylar claw short, narrow, attached at apex, 1 or more shorter, stout setae subapically (these similar to gonostylar claw but somewhat shorter and thinner, especially in Co. hatorii ) (Assemblage A) or subapical, stout setae absent (Assemblage B); aedeagus simple, tubelike, distal part wider than middle (Assemblage A) or approximately same width as middle (Assemblage B); proctiger with few tiny, cercal setae; claspette with single, moderately long, columnar stem with small subapical, thumblike lobe (Assemblage A) or subapical lobe absent (Assemblage B), claspette filament attached apically, long, relatively narrow, strongly curved, apex pointed; sternum IX with several setae on posteromesal area.

Pupae

Cephalothorax: Setae 1,3-CT similarly developed; 11- CT normally single, rarely 2-branched.

Abdomen: Seta 3-I, II branched (Assemblage A) or normally single (Assemblage B), longer than 6-I, II; 6- I shorter than 7-I; 1- II with several branches; 5- II inserted lateral to 4- II; 3- III single ( Co. banksi single or 2-branched); 5- V long, stout, single, longer than tergum VI median length; 2- VI inserted mesal to 1,3- VI (Assemblage A) or 2- VI inserted lateral to 1- VI and mesal to 3- VI (Assemblage B); 6- VII inserted posterior and mesal to 9- VII; 9-VIII inserted slightly anterior to posterolateral corner (Assemblage A) or on corner (Assemblage B), with multiple branches.

Paddle: Apical margin rounded; midrib extends to apex of paddle; without hairlike spicules on margins; seta 1-Pa short, single.

Fourth-instar larvae

Head: Seta 1-C slender, single, apex attenuate; 4-C short, slender, with few branches, inserted at approximately same level or slightly anterior to 5,6-C; 5,6-C relatively short, moderately stout, with several branches, 6-C lateral to 5-C, 4–6-C all at approximately same level; 7-C moderately long, relatively slender, with several branches, inserted lateral and posterior to 4–6-C; 12-C short, slender, with several branches, inserted mesal to 13-C; 13-C single, longer than 12-C; 14-C short, stout, normally single or 2-branched, occasionally 3-branched; 19-C absent; antenna moderately long, narrow, with several to numerous spicules, seta 1-A moderately long, normally with 2 or 3 branches (rarely single).

Thorax: Setae 1–3-P on common setal support plate; 4-P single; 8-P branched, shorter than 4-P; 1-M, T stout, single or 2-branched, inserted on large, pigmented tubercle (Assemblage A) or 1-M, T slender, with few branches, not on tubercle (Assemblage B); 5-M longer than 7-M; 2,6- T single (Lu & Ji, 1997: fig. 44, of Co. ningheensis shows 2- T with 3 branches).

Abdomen: Seta 6-I, II long, with 2 branches, 6- II longer than 6- III; 7-I, II long, single (rarely 2-branched); 12-I present; 8- II short, single or 2-branched; 1- VII long; 12- VII single; 2,4-VIII single; comb comprising numerous scales in patch; segment X with moderate saddle, incomplete ventrally, with numerous stout spicules on posterior margin dorsal to seta 1-X, acus absent, 1-X inserted on saddle, ventral brush with several long, branched setae with short stems, attached to grid with both transverse and lateral bars, some species with 1 shorter seta anterior to grid.

Siphon: With attached acus; pecten with numerous closely set spines; seta 1-S single or branched, inserted within distal part of pecten or slightly distal to pecten.

Included species

Assemblage A: Collessius elsiae elsiae (Barraud) , Co. elsiae vicarius (Lien) , Co. hatorii (Yamada) , Co. macdougalli (Edwards) , Co. macfarlanei (Edwards) , Co. ningheensis (Lei) and Co. shortti (Barraud) . Assemblage B: Collessius banksi (Edwards) , Co. pseudotaeniatus (Giles) and Co. tonkinensis (Galliard & Ngu) .

Distribution

Assemblage A: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Assemblage B: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippine Islands, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Bionomics

Assemblage A: Immatures are normally found in rock pools but also in artificial containers (e.g. concrete water tanks). Females of some species bite humans indoors and outdoors. Assemblage B: Immatures have been collected normally from rock pools but also from tree holes, and artificial containers (e.g. cement sinks and gutters, drains, iron cisterns, tires, etc.). Females of Co. pseudotaeniatus bite humans indoors and outdoors.

Discussion

Species of Collessius can be grouped into Assemblages based on morphological characters (see above). Barraud (1934: figs 37, 39) illustrated the development of the gonostylus and fourth-instar larva of Co. elsiae and Co. shortti . See Tanaka et al. (1979: figs 97, 98, 219) for illustrations of the male genitalia, fourthinstar larva and adults of Co. hatorii, Tanaka (2002: fig. 1) for the pupa and Moriya et al. (1973) for the egg of this species.

Etymology

Collessius is named in honour of Dr Donald H. Colless in recognition of his contributions to the taxonomy of Oriental mosquitoes. The generic name is masculine, formed from his surname and the masculine Latin suffix ‘- ius ’. Recommended abbreviation = Co .