Ochlerotatus (Juppius), 2009

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 : 770-772

OCHLEROTATUS SUBGENUS JUPPIUS REINERT, HARBACH & KITCHING, SUBGEN. NOV.

Type species: Grabhamia caballa Theobald, 1912 .

Females

Head: Vertex covered with narrow, curved, decumbent scales; occiput and vertex with numerous long, erect, forked scales; ocular line narrow, with narrow, curved, pale scales; eyes above antennal pedicels separated by diameter of approximately 4 ocular facets; antennal pedicel with numerous small, broad, non-overlapping scales and few short, slender setae on mesal surface; clypeus bare; maxillary palpus dark-scaled, with or without few pale scales intermixed; proboscis darkscaled, longer than forefemur.

Thorax: Scutum covered with narrow, curved pale and dark scales including most of median, prescutellar area; parascutellar area with 2–4 narrow, curved, pale scales; scutellum with narrow, curved scales on all lobes; acrostichal (anterior and posterior), dorsocentral (anterior and posterior) and prescutellar areas with numerous dark setae; paratergite with broad, pale scales; antepronota widely separated, with narrow, curved, pale scales, several setae; postpronotum with narrow, curved scales dorsally and few somewhat broader scales ventrally, several posterior setae; hypostigmal area with broad, pale scales; postspiracular area with numerous broad, pale scales, few setae; subspiracular area with numerous broad, pale scales; upper proepisternum with broad, pale scales, numerous setae, lower area bare; prealar area with broad, pale scales on upper and lower areas, several to numerous setae; mesokatepisternum with large upper and moderate lower posterior patches of broad, pale scales, several upper and numerous lower posterior setae; mesepimeron with large patch of broad, pale scales on upper area and extending over middle area, several upper setae, with 4 or 5 lower setae; metameron with several broad, pale scales.

Wing: Some veins with moderately broad scales, other veins with narrow scales, dark and pale scales intermixed on some or most veins ( Oc. caballus and Oc. chelli Edwards ) or dark-scaled ( Oc. juppi (McIntosh)) ; costa with pale-scaled patch at base; upper calypter with numerous setae on margin; alula with dark scales on posterior margin; dorsal tertiary fringe scales narrow, dark; remigium with 1 or 2 setae distally on dorsal surface.

Legs: Anteprocoxal membrane bare; postprocoxal membrane with broad, pale scales; femora with numerous pale scales intermixed with dark-scaled areas, apices pale-scaled; tibiae with numerous pale scales intermixed with dark scales; tarsi dark-scaled with basal, pale-scaled bands on tarsomeres 1 and 2, and tarsomere 3 of mid- and hindtarsi; fore-, mid- and hindungues equal, each with 1 tooth.

Abdomen: Tergum I with patch of broad, pale scales on laterotergite; terga II–VI with dorsobasal palescaled patch expanded as complete or incomplete median, longitudinal stripe; segment VII dorsoventrally flattened.

Genitalia: Intersegmental membrane between segments VII and VIII very long; tergum VIII moderately pigmented with small non-pigmented notches on lateral and apical margins, length greater than width, without scales (1 adventitious scale in Oc. juppi ), short setae on entire length, 2 or more long setae on lateral margins, apex flat with small, median emargination; sternum VIII moderately pigmented with narrow, median, non-pigmented strip, length greater than width, apical margin gently rounded, without scales (rarely with 1 adventitious scale), setae on nearly entire length, seta 2-S inserted slightly posterior to seta 1-S; tergum IX comprised of single moderately pigmented, moderately long sclerite, apex with shallow, median emargination separating rounded lobes, each bearing 4–8 short setae, 9–15 total setae; postgenital lobe moderately wide, dorsal length short, apex flat or with very shallow, median emargination, few setae on distal area; without upper and lower vaginal sclerites; insula lip-like, with 2 moderately long, slender setae in lateral patches, 4 total setae; cercus moderately pigmented, long, narrow, apex narrowly rounded, without scales (occasionally 1 adventitious scale in Oc. juppi ), numerous setae covering most of dorsal surface; 3 spermathecal capsules, spherical, 1 large and 2 slightly smaller.

Males

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

Legs: Fore- and midungues unequal, larger unguis with 2 teeth, smaller unguis with 1 tooth; hindungues equal, each with 1 tooth.

Abdomen: Terga with numerous long, curved setae laterally; tergum VIII with posterior margin flat.

Genitalia: Tergum IX moderately pigmented, posterior margin with darkly pigmented, short, narrow lobe on each side of midline bearing few short, stout, somewhat flattened setae and few short, slender setae; gonocoxite heavily pigmented, moderately long, moderately wide, dorsal surface with several short, slender setae on most of area and few long, stout setae on outer area, mesal area with small, apical lobe bearing few short, slender setae and small, basal lobe bearing few short, slender and 1 or 2 moderately long, slender setae, lateral surface with several long, stout setae, ventral surface with few moderately long, slender setae on proximal area and several long, stout setae on distal area, several broad scales on lateral and ventral surfaces, mesal surface membranous; gonostylus attached at apex of gonocoxite, long, approximately 0.70 length of gonocoxite, relatively narrow throughout length but median part slightly wider than proximal part, distal part curved mesally and narrower than proximal part, with 2 or 3 short, slender setae, gonostylar claw short, slender, apex truncate, attached at apex of gonostylus; aedeagus tube-like, lateral margins bowed outward, widest on middle 0.33, apex bluntly pointed; phallosome with basal piece short; proctiger relatively short, distal part darkly pigmented, with curved, pointed apex, 5–8 minute, cercal setae; claspette comprised of single, relatively short, slender stem bearing one, long, flattened, relatively narrow, claspette filament at apex, with distal part slightly curved; sternum IX moderately pigmented, moderately long, with several short and moderately long setae on median, posterior area.

Pupae

Trumpet: Relatively short; moderately wide distally; pinna moderately long; tracheoid area weakly developed at base.

Cephalothorax: Seta 1-CT longer than 3-CT, both branched; 4,5-CT similarly developed, branched; 6-CT much shorter than 7-CT; 11-CT single, longer than 10,12-CT.

Abdomen: Seta 6-I single or 2-branched, longer than 3,7-I; 1-II with few to several slender branches; 3-II moderately long, single (3-II,III with 3 branches in Oc. juppi , fig. 3 of McIntosh, 1973); 6-II single, longer than 3-II; 3-III single, noticeably longer than 5-III; 1-IV–VI long, moderately stout, with 2 or 3 branches; 5-IV,V with 2 very long branches, noticeably longer than median, dorsal length of following tergum; 6-VII shorter than and inserted posterior and slightly mesal to 9-VII; 9-VIII with 10–12 stout, lightly aciculate branches.

Paddle: Apical margin more or less flat, with minute spicules; without hair-like spicules on margins; midrib extends to apex of paddle; seta 1-Pa short, single (occasionally 2-branched).

Fourth-instar larvae

Head: Seta 1-C single, distal part attenuate; 4-C short, very slender, single or 2-branched, inserted mesal and in line with 6-C; 5-C long, stout, single, inserted posterior and mesal to 6,7-C; 6-C long, stout, single, inserted mesal and slightly posterior to 7-C; 7-C moderately long, moderately stout, with 4–7 aciculate branches; 12-C with 4 or 5 branches, inserted mesal to 13-C; 13-C single, longer than 12-C; 14-C single; 19-C absent; antenna relatively short, moderately pigmented, with few scattered, minute spicules, seta 1-A short, single or with 2 or 3 branches, tips not reaching apex of antenna.

Thorax: Setae 1–3-P not inserted on common setal support plate, 1-P> 2-P> 3-P length, 1,2-P single, 3-P short, with 2 or 3 branches; 4-P short, single or with 2 branches; 5-P moderately stout, long, single, longer than 6-P; 6-P long, normally 2-branched (rarely single); 7-P long, with 3 branches; 4-M branched; 2-T with 3 branches; 6-T single.

Abdomen: Seta 7-I with 2 or 3 slender branches, approximately 0.60 length of 6-I; 12-I present; 6-II with 2 branches, longer than 6-III; 8-II with 2 or 3 branches; 6-III,IV moderately long, moderately stout, with 2 branches; 1-VII short, with 2 slender branches, approximately 0.40 dorsal length of segment X; 12-VII single; 1-VIII with 5–7 branches; 2,4-VIII single; comb with several thorn-like scales in short curved row; segment X with saddle incomplete ventrally, acus present, seta 1-S short, single, inserted on saddle, 2-X moderately long, with several branches, 3-X long, single, ventral brush with numerous long, branched setae inserted on grid with well developed transverse and lateral bars, with 2 (rarely 3) shorter, branched, precratal setae.

Siphon: Relatively short; acus present; pecten with several evenly spaced spines on approximately proximal 0.45 of siphon, distal 1 or 2 spines longer; seta 1-S with 4–6 short branches, inserted distal to pecten.

Included species

Ochlerotatus caballus, Oc. chelli and Oc. juppi .

Distribution

Aden, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Bionomics

Hopkins (1936, 1952) provided a summary of the immature habitats of Oc. caballus to include a rockpool, a stream, water-furrows and small or mediumsized depressions in the veldt, which were filled periodically by rain or irrigation water. The habitats usually contained vegetation. McIntosh (1973) reported the larvae of Oc. juppi occur in temporary ground pools in grassland. McIntosh (1973) indicated the females of Oc. juppi are highly anthropophilic and readily feed on larger domesticated animals and possibly also, to some extent, on birds, during the daytime but with peak feeding in the early part of the night. Ochlerotatus caballus , like the previous species, readily feed on humans and larger domesticated animals.

Discussion

Subgenus Juppius includes medium-sized mosquitoes. Confusion concerning the identity of Oc. caballus and Oc. chelli occurred until McIntosh (1973) evaluated the species included in this group. See McIntosh (1973) for descriptions, partial illustrations and a discussion of the species. Hopkins (1952) described the fourth-instar larva of Oc. caballus and Jupp (1996) provided partial illustrations of the adults of Oc. caballus and Oc. juppi and the male genitalia of the latter species. The adult habitus of the primarily African Juppius species share a number of characters with those of the Australian subgenus Lepidokeneon, however notable differences exist in adult characters, especially in the male genitalia, and fourth-instar larvae. Additional descriptive information is provided in Appendix 1 for species included in the analysis.

Etymology

Juppius is named in honour of Dr Peter G. Jupp in recognition of his important contributions to the taxonomy of mosquitoes of southern Africa and studies on mosquito-vectored pathogens. The subgeneric name is masculine, formed from his surname and the masculine Latin suffix ‘ -ius ’. Recommended subgeneric abbreviation = Jup.