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 : 74-76

HIMALAIUS REINERT, HARBACH & KITCHING ,

GEN. NOV.

Type species: Finlaya gilli Barraud, 1924 .

Females

Head: Vertex with decumbent, narrow, curved, goldenwhite to white scales mesally, broad, golden-white to white scales laterally; occiput with numerous erect forked scales; clypeus bare; maxillary palpus and proboscis dark brown-scaled, proboscis approximately equal to forefemur length.

Thorax: Scutum with narrow, curved scales, goldenwhite scales covering approximately anterior 0.60 of scutum, similar scales forming narrow stripe on posterior acrostichal area extending from anterior patch to anterior part of prescutellar area where it forks and extends along lateral margins of prescutellar bare area, similar narrow stripe on posterior dorsocentral area extending posteriorly along lateral margin of prescutellar setae, longitudinal stripe on supraalar area, scutal fossa with small, posteromedian patch of white scales, prealar area with small patch of somewhat broader, narrow, white scales; setae on posterior dorsocentral area; scutellum with narrow, curved, golden-white scales on all lobes; paratergite without scales; antepronota widely separated, with numerous moderately broad to broad, golden-white scales; postpronotum with golden-white scales, broad scales on most of area except narrow, curved scales dorsally; broad, white scales on upper proepisternum, mesokatepisternum (upper and lower posterior patches), lower prealar area and mesepimeron (single large patch), other areas without scales; mesepimeron without lower setae.

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

Legs: Ante- and postprocoxal membranes without scales; hindfemur with apex dark-scaled; hindtibia dark-scaled with basal band of white scales, band narrow dorsally, broader on anterior, posterior and ventral surfaces; hindtarsomeres 1–3 with broad, basal bands of white scales, hindungues equal, simple; fore- and midungues equal, each with 1 tooth.

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

Genitalia: Tergum VIII with broad scales covering all but narrow basal strip; sternum VIII sclerotized, slightly wider than long, several broad scales on proximal area, apical margin nearly straight with several moderately stout setae decreasing in length mesally, seta 2-S inserted posterior to 1-S; tergum IX comprising lightly to moderately pigmented sclerite with relatively deep, median, apical emargination separating pair of narrow lobes each bearing 3 or 4 short, slender setae; postgenital lobe relatively long and narrow, apex rounded, several setae distally; upper vaginal sclerite small, lightly pigmented; lower vaginal sclerite absent; insula liplike, with few setae in lateral patches; cercus relatively moderately long, moderately wide, apex rounded, mesal margin gently concave, without scales; 3 spermathecal capsules.

Males

Head: Maxillary palpus with 5 palpomeres, 0.86–0.95 length of proboscis, dark-scaled, distal part of palpomere 3 bearing several long setae ventrolaterally, palpomeres 4 and 5 short, slightly down-turned, with several short and moderately long setae primarily on ventral and distal areas.

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

Genitalia: Tergum IX comprising 2 moderately pigmented, lateral plates, each with small, short, narrow, heavily sclerotized lobe on posterior margin bearing 5 or 6 short, stout setae; gonocoxite moderately long, relatively narrow, dorsal surface without apical and basal lobes on mesal margin, several scales present, ventral surface without specialized setae or scales, mesal surface membranous; gonostylus long, attached at apex of gonocoxite, narrow but distal part narrower, nearly straight, with single relatively short, narrow, gonostylar claw at apex; aedeagus simple, tubelike, moderately long, relatively narrow; proctiger with distal part heavily pigmented, apex flattened with 2 or 3 short, stout teeth, cercal setae present; claspette with single long, narrow columnar stem, claspette filament attached at apex of stem, long, relatively narrow, slightly flattened, distal part terminating in long, slender, pointed apex; sternum IX relatively short, with several setae on posteromedian area.

Pupae

Cephalothorax: Seta 1-CT very long, stout, with 2 branches; 3-CT very long, with 3–5 branches; 4-CT shorter than 5-CT; 7-CT long, with 3–5 branches; 11-CT relatively long, normally with 2 branches (single on 1 side of 1 specimen).

Abdomen: Seta 3-I long, moderately stout, with 3 or 4 branches; 6-I long, slender, single or 2-branched, longer than 7-I; 2- II inserted lateral to 1- II and mesal to 3- II; 3- II long, stout, aciculate, with 2 or 3 branches; 4- II inserted mesal to 5- II; 6- II long, slen- der, single to 3-branched, longer than 7- II; 3- III long, stout, with 2 branches; 5- IV, V exceptionally long; 2- IV inserted mesal to 1,3- IV; 6- VII short, slender, inserted mesal and slightly anterior to 9- VII; 9- VII moderately long, stout, aciculate, with 3–5 branches; 9-VIII moderately long, stout, aciculate, with 10 or 11 branches, inserted noticeably far anteriorly from posterior margin.

Paddle: Ovoid; midrib well developed, reaching apex of paddle; without hairlike spicules on lateral margins; seta 1-Pa very long, 0.65–1.02 length of paddle, single.

Fourth-instar larvae

Head: With scooplike pouch anteroventral to antennal base; seta 1-C relatively short, moderately thickened throughout length but distal part slightly wider, apex bluntly pointed, single; 4-C very short, slender, with 6–9 branches, inserted near, mesal and slightly posterior to 5-C; 5,6-C very long, stout, dark, single, 5-C inserted near, mesal and slightly posterior to 6-C; 7-C long, stout, lightly aciculate, with 2 branches (3- branched on 1 side of 1 specimen), inserted anterior and lateral to 4–6-C and posterior to antennal base; 12-C short, slender, with 6–9 branches, inserted mesal to 13-C; 13-C moderately long, slender, with 3–5 branches; 19-C absent; antenna long, narrow, with few small spicules, seta 1-A single, extending beyond apex of antennal shaft.

Thorax: Seta 2-P longer than 1,3-P; 4-P moderately long, slender, with 3 or 4 branches; 6-P longer than 7-P; 6,7-P longer than 5-P; 8-P relatively short, slender, with 2 or 3 branches; 1-M moderately long, slender, with 3–6 branches, approximately 2.9 times length of 2-M; 4-M with 3–6 branches; 5-M longer than 7-M; 2- T with 8–12 branches; 6- T with 3–5 branches.

Abdomen: Seta 12-I present; 6,7-I moderately long, stout, 6-I with 4–6 branches, 7-I with 4 or 5 branches, only slightly shorter than 6-I; 6- II moderately long, stout, with 3 or 4 branches; 7- II relatively moderately long, slender, with 4–6 branches; 8- II single; 1- VII very long, moderately stout, with 2 or 3 branches; 3- VII short, slender with 3–8 branches, inserted lateral and slightly anterior to 1- VII; 7,10,12- VII branched; 1-VIII with 5 or 6 branches; 2,4-VIII branched; segment VIII with comb comprising 80–94 scales in patch; segment X with moderately large saddle, incomplete ventrally, acus absent, 1-X moderately long, slender, with 3 branches, inserted on saddle, 3-X very long, stout, single, ventral brush inserted on grid with both transverse and lateral bars, 2 precratal setae.

Siphon: Acus attached; pecten comprising 24–36 evenly spaced spines; seta 1-S short, slender, with 6–8 branches, inserted distal to pecten.

Included species

Himalaius gilli (Barraud) and Hi. simlensis (Edwards) . The latter species is provisionally placed in Himalaius .

Distribution

Himalaius gilli : India (Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh State, Krol Mountains near Solan, Naini Tal District , Uttar Pradesh State, Himachal Pradesh State, Uttaranchal State) and Nepal (Okaldunga District, Ramechhap District ). Himalaius simlensis : India ( Western Himalayas , Bhowali, Kumaon, Lansdowne, Muktesar, Simla) (Barraud, 1934), and Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal (Kaur, 2003) .

Bionomics

Barraud (1924, 1934) reported that the immature stages of Hi. gilli (including those of the type series) were collected from water in treeholes. However, Kaur (1992) states that Barraud’s paratypes deposited in the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, India, were reared from larvae collected in bamboo. Darsie, Pradhan & Vaidya (1992) collected pupae from turbid, chocolate-coloured water in treeholes. The immatures of Hi. simlensis are not known.

Discussion

Few specimens of Hi. gilli were available for examination but these bear distinct characters in all life stages that readily distinguish the genus (see above description based on Hi. gilli ). Several abdominal segments of the larval specimens are in poor condition and could not be described. The species simlensis is provisionally included in Himalaius based on the characters mentioned in the brief and incomplete descriptions of Edwards (1922) and Barraud (1924).

Etymology

The generic name Himalaius is formed from ‘Himalaya’, the mountains, and the masculine Latin suffix ‘- ius ’, meaning ‘pertaining to the Himalayas’. Recommended abbreviation = Hi.