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 : 66-68

DAHLIANA REINERT, HARBACH & KITCHING ,

GEN. NOV.

Type species: Culex geniculatus Olivier, 1791 .

Females

Head: Median area of vertex with narrow, curved, pale scales; occiput and vertex with numerous erect forked scales; ocular line narrow, with narrow, white scales; eyes above antennal pedicels separated by width of 2– 4 ocular facets; antennal pedicel with few short, fine setae, few small, broad scales sometimes present on mesal surface; clypeus bare; maxillary palpus and proboscis dark-scaled, proboscis longer than forefemur.

Thorax: Scutum with narrow, curved scales; pale scales forming narrow, longitudinal stripe on anterior and posterior acrostichal area and extending posteriorly to or near prescutellar area, posterior dorsocentral area extending posteriorly laterad of prescutellar setae to posterior margin of scutum, and on anterior and lateral margins of prescutellar bare area; white scales on antealar area and extending posteriorly as narrow, longitudinal stripe on supraalar area; scutal fossa covered with pale scales; acrostichal (anterior and posterior) and dorsocentral (anterior and posterior) areas with setae; scutellum with narrow, curved scales on lateral lobes; paratergite with broad, white scales; antepronota widely separated, with broad and few moderately broad, pale scales; postpronotum with broad, pale and dark scales, Da. echinus normally also with few narrow, curved scales dorsally; broad, white scales on postspiracular area, subspiracular area, upper proepisternum, mesokatepisternum (upper and lower posterior patches), upper and lower prealar areas, mesepimeron (1 large patch); mesepimeron without lower setae.

Wing: Dark-scaled; upper calypter with several setae on margin; alula with row of narrow scales on margin; remigium with 2 or 3 setae on dorsal surface distally.

Legs: Ante- and postprocoxal membranes bare; hindfemur with well-developed apical, white-scaled band; hindtibia and tarsus dark-scaled, ungues equal, simple; fore- and midungues equal, each with 1 tooth.

Abdomen: Tergum I with pale-scaled patch on laterotergite; segment VII laterally compressed.

Genitalia: Tergum VIII heavily pigmented, basolateral corners expanded into short, proximally curved, thumblike projections, apex broadly rounded, numerous broad scales on distal 0.56–0.58; sternum VIII heavily pigmented, base straight or very slightly concave mesally, apex noticeably wider than base, nearly straight but with shallow, median emargination, broad scales absent or very few ( Da. geniculata ) or several scales forming lateral patches ( Da. echinus ), 2 moderately long setae slightly subapical on lateral part of apical margin, width greater than length; tergum IX heavily pigmented with median area slightly lighter, apex with moderately deep, V-shaped, median emargination, about 6 moderately long, stout setae apically on each side of midline; postgenital lobe moderately long, relatively narrow, apex rounded, setae on distal part; upper vaginal sclerite moderately large to large, heavily pigmented; lower vaginal sclerite absent; insula liplike, with few setae in lateral patches; cercus relatively long, moderately wide, apex broadly rounded, without scales; 3 spermathecal capsules.

Males

Head: Maxillary palpus with 5 palpomeres, slightly shorter than proboscis, dark-scaled, numerous long and moderately long setae ventrolaterally on distal part of palpomere 3 and ventrolaterally on palpomeres 4 and 5; antennal flagellomeres with numerous long setae directed dorsally and ventrally.

Legs: Foretarsus with 2 unequal ungues, larger unguis with 2 teeth, smaller with 1 tooth; midtarsus with 2 unequal ungues, each with 1 tooth; hindtarsus with 2 equal ungues, simple.

Genitalia: Tergum IX comprising 2 relatively broad, lateral plates each with short, narrow, strongly sclerotized lobe on posteromesal area bearing 2–6 short, stout, flattened, dark setae; gonocoxite moderately long, relatively narrow, dorsal surface without apical and basal lobes on mesal margin, ventral surface without specialized setae or scales, mesal surface membranous, numerous scales on dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces; gonostylus attached at apex of gonocoxite, relatively long, narrow, distal part gently curved mesally, single gonostylar claw, long, narrow, attached at apex; aedeagus simple, tubelike, lateral margins gently curved to apex, distal 0.50 narrowest; proctiger with few to several cercal setae; claspette with single moderately long to long, narrow, columnar stem, claspette filament attached apically, long, somewhat flattened, slightly curved to narrow, pointed apex; sternum IX with several setae on posteromedian area.

Pupae (based on Da. geniculata )

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

Abdomen: Seta 3-I single, shorter than 6-I; 6-I longer than 7-I; 2- II inserted lateral to 1,3- II; 3- II moderately long, stout, normally single (occasionally 2-forked), shorter than 6- II; 5- II long, stout, single, noticeably longer than 3- II, slightly shorter than 6- II, inserted lateral to 4- II; 3,6- III long, stout, single; 5- V long, stout, single, longer than tergum VI median length; 2- VI inserted anterior and slightly lateral to 1- VI and mesal to 3- VI; 6- VII short, slender, inserted posterior and slightly mesal to 9- VII; 9- VII moderately long, stout, aciculate, usually with 2 branches; 9-VIII moderately long, stout, aciculate, with 2–5 (usually 2 or 3) branches.

Paddle: Length noticeably greater than width; midrib well developed, reaching apex of paddle; without hairlike spicules on margins; seta 1-Pa short, slender, single.

Fourth-instar larvae

Head: Seta 1-C single, moderately stout; 4-C moderately long, slender, multiple-branched, inserted mesal and slightly anterior to 6-C; 5-C long, stout, single, inserted posterior to 4,6,7-C; 6-C moderately long to long, stout, single to 3-branched, inserted anterior and approximately same lateral level to 5-C and mesal and slightly anterior to 7-C; 7-C moderately long, moderately stout, with 2 or 3 branches; 12-C branched, inserted mesal to 13-C; 13-C single, longer than 12-C; 14-C short, branched; 19-C absent; antenna moderately long, narrow, without spicules, seta 1-A moderately long, single or 2-branched.

Thorax: Setae 1–3-P inserted on common setal support plate; 5-P with 2 branches, longer than 6-P; 8-P short, multiple-branched; 4-M single; 5-M longer than 7-M; 2,6- T single.

Abdomen: Seta 6-I, II with 2 long, stout, aciculate branches; 7-I, II long, stout, single; 12-I present; 8- II single; 1- VII moderately long, stout, stellate, multiplebranched; 12- VII single; 2,4-VIII single; segment VIII with comb comprising several scales in single curved row; segment X with large saddle, incomplete ventrally, acus absent, seta 1-X long, stout, branched, inserted on saddle, ventral brush with several long, normally 2–4-branched setae with long stems, inserted on grid with both transverse and lateral bars, 2 precratal setae.

Siphon: With attached acus; pecten with several, closely set spines; seta 1-S moderately long, multiplebranched, inserted distal to pecten.

Included species

Dahliana echinus (Edwards) , Da. geniculata (Olivier) and Da. gilcolladoi (Sanchez-Covisa Villa, Rodriguez Rodriguez & Guillen Llera) .

Distribution

Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, European Russia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Yugoslavia.

Bionomics

Immature stages normally inhabit treeholes but have been found in open tree stumps, root holes of olive trees and pools in rocks.

Discussion

See discussion under Classification of Evaluated Taxa. Marshall (1938: figs 12, 57(g), 69, 94 and pl. IV) provided illustrations of the egg, first- and fourth-instar larvae, male genitalia and female of Da. geniculata , and Reinert (2002e: fig. 3) illustrated the female genitalia of this species. Villa, Rodriguez & Llera (1985) provide photographs of the fourth-instar larvae of Da. echinus , Da. geniculata and Da. gilcolladoi .

Etymology

Dahliana is named in honour of Dr Christine Dahl in recognition of her many important contributions to the taxonomy and bionomics of Palaearctic mosquitoes. The generic name is feminine, formed from her surname and the feminine Latin suffix ‘- iana ’. Recommended abbreviation = Da.