Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans ( Meigen, 1830 )

Kirik, Heli, Tummeleht, Lea & Kurina, Olavi, 2022, Rediscovering the mosquito fauna (Diptera: Culicidae) of Estonia: an annotated checklist with distribution maps and DNA evidence, Zootaxa 5094 (2), pp. 261-287 : 265

2. Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans ( Meigen, 1830)

( Fig. 2B )

Published sources: Remm (1957: 156), Burtin (2014: 34), Lilja et al. (2018: 283), Kirik et al. (2021: 11).

Voucher material: 1♀, Tartu (58° 21′ 23″ N, 26° 44′ 31″ E), 13.VIII.2017, T. Kesküla leg., H. Kirik det., sweep net, IZBE0210182 , GenBank: OK465140 ; 1♀, Tartu (58° 22′ 17″ N, 26° 41′ 58″ E), 21.VIII.2017, H. Kirik leg., H. Kirik det., sweep net, IZBE0210183 , GenBank: OK465141 ; 1♂, Tartu (58° 21′ 16″ N, 26° 40′ 53″ E), 06.VI.2015, T. Kesküla leg., O. Kurina det., sweep net, IZBE0210184 .

Comment: 366 mosquitoes (1.5% of all specimens collected) were identified as Ae. vexans . This species was infrequently collected, but specimens could be found throughout the warm season, with a peak of activity in August. However, Ae. vexans has been found to emerge in large numbers after floods ( Schäfer & Lundström 2009), so their low numbers in this study could be due to sampling bias.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Maps showing the historic and current collection points of individual mosquito species in Estonia. A, Aedes (Aedes) cinereus; B, Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans; C, Aedes annulipes group; D, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius; E, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) cataphylla; F, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) communis; G, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) cyprius; H, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) diantaeus. Numbers indicate original data and correspond to on the numbers in Fig. 1. Red diamonds indicate localities collected by Remm (1955). In cases where Remm indicated the species was widely distributed in Estonia, the area is shaded in gray.