Elpeytonius, Reinert, Harbach & Kitching

John F. Reinert, Ralph E. Harbach & Ian J. Kitching, 2009, Phylogeny and classification of tribe Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157, pp. 700-794 : 768-770

ELPEYTONIUS REINERT, HARBACH & KITCHING ,

GEN. NOV.

Type species: Ochlerotatus apicoannulatus Edwards, 1912 (nom. nov. for Aedimorphus alboannulatus Theobald, 1905 ).

Females

Head: Vertex with entire area covered with narrow, curved, decumbent scales or with few to several narrow scales on anterior, median area; occiput and vertex with numerous erect, forked scales; ocular line narrow, with narrow, pale scales; eyes above antennal pedicels touching or separated by diameter of 2 ocular facets; antennal pedicel with mesal surface bearing few short, slender setae, few small, broad, dark scales present or absent; clypeus bare; maxillary palpus dark-scaled; proboscis dark-scaled with narrow, complete or incomplete, pale-scaled band near midlength, proboscis longer than forefemur.

Thorax: Scutum covered with narrow, curved scales except bare prescutellar area; acrostichal (anterior and posterior) and dorsocentral (anterior and posterior) setae present; prescutellar area with 7–9 setae on each side; scutellum with broad, silvery scales on all lobes; paratergite with broad, pale scales; antepronota widely separated, with broad, silvery scales, several setae; postpronotum with narrow, curved, dark scales on upper area, posterior setae present; postspiracular area without scales, 3 or 4 setae present; scales absent on hypostigmal area, subspiracular area, lower proepisternum, lower and upper prealar areas and metameron; mesokatepisternum with small upper and small lower posterior patches of broad, pale scales, setae present; mesepimeron with small upper patch of pale scales, without lower setae.

Wing: Dark-scaled, with small pale-scaled patch at base of costa; upper calypter with several setae on margin; remigium with 1 or 2 short setae on dorsal surface distally; dorsal tertiary fringe scales dark.

Legs: Ante- and postprocoxal areas bare; hindfemur and hindtibia with pale scales at apex; hindtarsomeres 1–4 each dark-scaled with wide, apical, white-scaled band, tarsomere 5 entirely or nearly entirely white-scaled; fore- and midungues, equal, each with 1 tooth.

Abdomen: Tergum I with patch of broad, white scales on laterotergite; terga I–VI dark-scaled dorsally; segment VII laterally compressed.

Genitalia: Tergum VIII moderately pigmented, width greater than length, few scales on distal part; sternum VIII moderately pigmented, width greater than length, apex with moderate, median emargination separating small to moderate-sized, sublateral lobes, scales absent or few in number, seta 2-S inserted posterior to seta 1-S; tergum IX comprised of single, moderately pigmented sclerite, apex with small, median emargination separating small, rounded lobes, each with 2–4 short, slender setae; postgenital lobe moderately long, moderately wide, apex with moderate, median emargination, setae on distal part of ventral surface; upper vaginal sclerite moderately pigmented, small to moderate size; without lower vaginal sclerite; insula tongue-like, with 4–6 small tuberculi on distal area; cercus moderately long, moderately wide, apex broadly rounded, without scales; single large, spherical, spermathecal capsule.

Males

Head: Antenna with distal 2 flagellomeres disproportionally long, remainder of flagellomeres short with numerous long setae directed primarily dorsally and ventrally; maxillary palpus with 5 palpomeres, palpomeres 4 and 5 somewhat downturned, palpomeres 4 and 5 and distal part of 3 with several long setae lateroventrally.

Legs: Foreungues unequal, each with 1 tooth; midungues unequal, larger one simple, smaller one with 1 tooth; hindungues equal, both simple.

Abdomen: Terga with several moderately long setae laterally.

Genitalia: Tergum IX moderately pigmented and sclerotized, posterior margin with pair of moderately large, broadly rounded lobes each with 3–6 short, slender setae; gonocoxite moderately long, moderately wide, dorsal surface with several short and few moderately long, slender setae on mesal area, several long, stout setae on outer area and on lateral surface, broad scales on outer part of dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces, mesal surface membranous; gonostylus attached at apex of gonocoxite, relatively long, approximately proximal 0.60 narrow, distal part broader with several minute, fine setae, terminal short, broad, leaf-like gonostylar claw attached to rounded apex, outer margin of approximately distal 0.30–0.40 with long, narrow, curved, finger-like lobe with minute seta near apex; aedeagus with 2 elongate, lateral sclerites each bearing few, elongate teeth on distal part, membrane-like dorsal flap covering lateral sclerites; proctiger moderately long, apex bluntly rounded, with 2 or 3 minute cercal setae; claspette developed as short, narrow, plaque bearing few short setae at base of gonocoxite; sternum IX moderately long, setae absent or with 3 or 4 short, slender setae on median, posterior area.

Pupae

Trumpet: Moderately long, narrow, darkly-pigmented; tracheoid area weakly developed at base.

Cephalothorax: Seta 1-CT with 3 branches, long but noticeably shorter than 3-CT; 5-CT longer than 4-CT; 7-CT longer than 6-CT; 11-CT single.

Abdomen: Seta 3-I very long, stout, single; 6-I longer than 7-I; 1-II multiple-branched, slender; 2-II, 3-II,III long, stout, single, 3-II inserted mesal or at same level anterior to 2-II; 6-II long, stout, single, longer than 3-II; 5-V longer than median, dorsal length of tergum VI; 9-VII branched, inserted anterior and lateral to and longer than 6-VII; 9-VIII with 6 or 7 stout, aciculate branches.

Paddle: Apical margin rounded; midrib extending to apex of paddle; without hair-like spicules on margins; seta 1-Pa short, with 2 or 3 branches.

Fourth-instar larvae

Head: Seta 1-C slender, single; 4-C short, with 3–9 very slender branches, inserted mesal and either slightly anterior or slightly posterior to 6-C; 5-C long, stout, with 7–10 aciculate branches, inserted posterior and mesal to 6,7-C; 6-C long, stout, with 4–6 aciculate branches, inserted close to 5-C; 7-C moderately long to long, stout, with 8–11 aciculate branches, inserted anterior and lateral to 6-C; 12-C inserted mesal to 13-C; 13-C with several relatively long branches, longer than 12-C; 14-C short, single or 2-forked; 19-C absent; antenna moderately long, narrow, with several spicules, seta 1-A with 3–6 branches.

Thorax: Setae 1–3-P not inserted on common setal support plate, 1-P> 2-P> 3-P length, 1,3-P branched, 2-P single; 5,7-P branched; 6-P single, longer than 5,7-P; 1,4-M and 1,2-T branched; 6-T single.

Abdomen: Seta 7-I long, stout, with 2 branches; 12-I absent; 1,5,8-II branched; 1-VII long; 1-VIII longer than 2-VIII; 2,4-VIII single; comb with numerous scales in patch; segment X with saddle incomplete ventrally, acus absent, seta 1-X single to 3-branched, inserted on saddle, 2-X with 3–5 moderately long branches, 3-X long, single, ventral brush with several, fan-like, multiple-branched setae attached to grid with both transverse and lateral bars, several shorter, branched, precratal setae.

Siphon: Acus present; pecten with several evenly spaced spines; seta 1-S with 2–5 branches, inserted distal to pecten.

Included species

Elpeytonius apicoannulatus and El. simulans (Newstead & Carter) .

Distribution

Central African Republic, Ghana, Liberia, Republic of Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Uganda.

Bionomics

Immature stages of El. apicoannulatus have been collected from rot-holes in mango, pawpaw, cotton and various other trees, dracaenas, stumps of banana plants and cut stems of bamboos ( Evans, 1926) [we note that Hopkins (1936: 130, 1952: 170) apparently misinterpreted Evans’ (1926) comments on habitats of this species] and tree-holes ( Haddow et al., 1952, Hopkins, 1936, 1952). Elpeytonius simulans have been collected from bamboo stumps ( Kumm, 1931) and tree-holes ( Haddow et al., 1952; Hopkins, 1936, 1952). Females of El. simulans have been taken occasionally biting humans during the day in forests and plantations and rarely in forests during the night ( Haddow et al., 1952)

Discussion

Evans (1926) briefly described and partially illustrated the male genitalia and fourth-instar larva of El. apicoannulatus (description of larva was noted by Edwards, 1932: 167). Hopkins (1936, 1952) described and illustrated the fourth-instar larvae of El. apicoannulatus (utilized Evans’ illustration) and El. simulans . Apparently, the description and illustration of the fourth-instar larva of El. apicoannulatus was not included in any of the Culicidae catalogs and supplements starting with Stone, Knight & Starcke (1959) to the present. Edwards (1941) provided brief descriptions of the female, male and pupa of El. apicoannulatus and illustrated the male genitalia. He briefly described the female and male of El. simulans and illustrated the adult female and male genitalia.

Pao & Knight (1970) described and illustrated the fourth-instar larval mouthparts of El. simulans . The above generic description of the pupae and fourthinstar larvae are based on specimens of El. simulans and the published partial descriptions and illustrations of both species. Additional descriptive information is provided in Appendix 1 for species included in the analysis.

Etymology

Elpeytonius is named in honour of Mr E. L. Peyton in recognition of his important contributions to the taxonomy and biology of Culicidae , for introducing the first author (JFR) to the exciting world of mosquito biosystematics over 45 years ago, and for steering the interests of the second author (REH) toward a career in mosquito taxonomy. The generic name is masculine, formed from his initials (E. L., which were indicated without corresponding names on his birth certificate), surname and the Latin suffix ‘ -ius ’. Recommended abbreviation = El.