Zootaxa 4027 (4): 593–599 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) ZOOTAXA www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Correspondence Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4027.4.9 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8DEE3134-4198-4B51-98F0-876B843F04EB A pictorial key to the species of the Aedes (Zavortinkius) in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Culicidae) YIAU-MIN HUANG1 & LEOPOLDO M. RUEDA2 1Department of Entomology, P.O. Box 37012, MSC C1109, MRC 534, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] 2Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Entomology Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, U.S.A. Mailing address: Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center (MRC 534), Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Six species of the subgenus Zavortinkius of Aedes Meigen in the Afrotropical Region are treated in a pictorial key based on diagnostic morphological features. Images of the diagnostic morphological structures of the adult thorax and leg are included. Key words: Culicidae, Aedes, mosquitoes, identification key, Africa Introduction In “Mosquitoes of the Ethiopian Region, in the Subgenus Finlaya Theobald”, Edwards (1941: 119) noted that the African species of this subgenus belong to two very distinct groups: the Wellmanii Group without metallic markings, and the Fulgens Group of black species with silvery markings on the thorax and abdomen. Edwards (1941: 120), in his “Key to Ethiopian Species of Finlaya”, included three species in the Couplet 1a. “Metallic silvery markings on thorax and abdomen, including a double row of silver scales extending nearly whole length of scutum in middle”: (1) longipalpis (Grunberg, 1905: 383), from Duala (Hafen), Cameroon; (2) fulgens (Edwards, 1917: 213), from Zanzibar (Tanganyika), Tanzania; and (3) monetus Edwards (1935a: 132), from Maevatanane, Madagascar. Edwards (1941: 120) also included six species from Africa in the Couplet 1b. “No metallic silvery scales on thorax or abdomen”: (1) wellmanii (Theobald, 1905b: 103) from Bihe, Angola; (2) ingrami Edwards (1930a: 296) from Aburi, (Gold Coast) Ghana; (3) embuensis Edwards (1930a: 295) from Embu, Kenya; (4) nyasae Edwards (1930a: 296) from Fort Johnston, (Nyasaland) Malawi; (5) barnardi Edwards (1924a: 161) from Oudebosch, Cape Province, Republic of South Africa (Union of South Africa); and (6) pulchrithorax Edwards (1939a: 17) from Nairobi, Kenya. Reinert (1999) removed Aedes longipalpis (Grunberg, 1905) from the Fulgens Group of the subgenus Finlaya Theobald (1903) and defined a new subgenus, Zavortinkius for that species and its relatives. Reinert (1999) included 11 species (4 new species, and 7 species previously assigned to the subgenus Finlaya) in his new subgenus, Aedes (Zavortinkius). To assist entomologists and other field workers in the identification of mosquitoes from Africa, we provide a pictorial key as an add-on to the key of Huang (2001). A few additional characters, indicated by a double asterisks (**), were added as needed to facilitate identification. Images of the diagnostic morphological structures of the adult thorax and leg are also included in the supplemental pictorial key. Material and methods This study is based on specimens in the mosquito collection of the Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Smithsonian Institution. Other specimens were borrowed from individuals and institutions noted in the acknowledgments. The terminology follows Harbach and Knight (1980, 1982) with the exception of “tarsal claws,” which is retained for “ungues.”Terminology for wing venation follows Belkin (1962). Accepted by J. Moulton: 4 Sept. 2015; published: 6 Oct. 2015 593 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 In this paper, we follow Edwards’ (1932) classification of the genus Aedes, retaining Zavortinkius as its subgenus. Results and discussion Huang (2001) published a key to the Aedes mosquitoes of the Afrotropical Region. This paper provides “A Pictorial Key to the Species of the Aedes (Zavortinkius) in the Afrotropical Region” (Appendix 1). This key was formatted to merge with the key of Huang (2001). The following steps should be followed in using the key of Huang (2001) with the merged supplemental key (Appendix 1): A Pictorial Key to the Species of the Aedes (Zavortinkius) in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Culicidae). From Page 34 of Huang (2001) key, with “Part 3. Key to Subgenera of Aedes”, ADULTS, follow the key to Page 48, then to Page 49, to Page 50b (** Thorax. Acrostichal setae absent, and ** Head. Pedicel with very few (1–3) scales and short fine setae on mesal surface), to key out to Zavortinkius. Using Appendix 1, the supplemental key, add Page 50bA (1st page), Page 50bB (2nd page), Page 50bC (3rd page A and 3rd page B), Page 50bD (4th page A and 4th page B), to key out to Aedes (Zavortinkius), for six species. Classification. Reinert (1999) divided the subgenus Zavortinkius into three species groups: (1) the Longipalpis Group (Ae. (Zav.) fulgens (Edwards, 1917), Ae. (Zav.) geoffroyi Reinert, 1999, Ae. (Zav.) huangae Reinert, 1999, Ae. (Zav.) longipalpis (Grunberg, 1905), Ae. (Zav.) mzooi Van Someren, 1962, and Ae. (Zav.) pollinctor (Graham, 1910)); (2) the Brygooi Group (Ae. (Zav.) brygooi Brunhes, 1971, Ae. (Zav.) interruptus Reinert, 1999, and Ae. (Zav.) phillipi Van Someren, 1949); and (3) the Monetus Group (Ae. (Zav.) monetus Edwards, 1935, and Ae. (Zav.) brunhesi Reinert, 1999). Of the three species groups, only the Longipalpis Group of the subgenus Zavortinkius occur in the Afrotropical Region. The other two species groups (the Brygooi Group and the Monetus Group) of the subgenus Zavortinkius occur in Madagascar. The Aedes (Zavortinkius) Longipalpis Group, represented by six species, is briefly characterized by having the subspiracular area without scales. The Brygooi and Monetus Groups (Madagascar) of the subgenus Zavortinkius, represented by five species, are characterized by having the subspiracular area with broad white scales. Medical Importance. Aedes (Zav.) fulgens (Edwards) transmitted chikungunya virus, with high infection rates, to Mystromys albicaudatus (Smith) rodents in laboratory experiments (Jupp et al. 1981). The Uganda S virus was believed to have been isolated from a pool of 47 Ae. (Zav) longipalpis, 17 Ae. (Fin.) ingrami Edwards, and one Ae. (Aedimorphus) natronius Edwards in Bwamba County, Uganda (Dick & Haddow 1952). Furthermore, Haddow (1961) stated that either Ae. longipalpis or Ae. ingrami was probably the species from which the original isolation of the Uganda S virus was made. Acknowledgments We express sincere appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Scott D. Whittaker, Manager SEM Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for access to and assistance with the imaging-digital instrument (Olympus SZX- 12 MDU) while conducting this study; to Dr. Wayne N. Mathis, Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Richard C. Wilkerson, Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), and Prof. Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, for critically reviewing this manuscript, and for their valuable comments. We are most grateful to Miss Theresa M. Howard, Head of Entomological Collections, Molecular Collections, and Plants, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK, for the loan of several types and other specimens. We also acknowledge with sincere appreciation Prof. Maureen Coetzee, Vector Control Reference Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (VCRU/NICD), Johannesburg, South Africa, for the loan of types and other specimens from the South African Institute for Medical Research (SAIM). This research was performed under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Smithsonian Institution, with institutional support provided by both organizations. The text and graphics published herein reflect the views of the authors and should not be construed to represent those of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. 594 · Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press HUANG & RUEDA References Belkin, J.N. (1962) The mosquitoes of the South Pacific (Diptera, Culicidae). Vol. 1. & 2. University California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 608 pp. & 412 pp. Brunhes, J. (1971) Culicides de Madagascar V. 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Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (B), 31, 19–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1949.tb01406.x A PICTORIAL KEY TO AEDES (ZAVORTINKIUS) Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press · 595 APPENDIX 1. A pictorial key to the species of the Aedes (Zavortinkius) in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Culicidae) 596 · Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press HUANG & RUEDA A PICTORIAL KEY TO AEDES (ZAVORTINKIUS) Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press · 597 598 · Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press HUANG & RUEDA A PICTORIAL KEY TO AEDES (ZAVORTINKIUS) Zootaxa 4027 (4) © 2015 Magnolia Press · 599