The mosquitoes of North and Central America and the West Indies

Abstract

This article is the fifth in a series to be published in the Bulletin to add meaning to the names of European mosquitoes. For each entry the name of the taxon is given together with the author and date and the reference to the original description. There is also either a quotation from the original description, translated where necessary, or a resume indicating the author's reason for using the name in question Where appropriate, a brief explanation of the etymology is provided. In some cases the explanation may not be clear and correspondence to the author is invited and additional information will be included in future issues of the Bulletin as letters to the editors. Aedes dorsalis (Meigen. 1830) Meigen. I.W. (1830) Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europliischen zweiflugeligen lnsekten 6. xi + 401pp. Hamm. Schulz. Latin, dorsalis = of or pertaining to the back Meigen described his species as Culex dorsalis on page 242 briefly in both Latin and German. He followed this with further details in German including his reference to the details of the "backshield" or scutum which he describes as having two closely situated black weals: ''Riickenschild OOt zwei genaherten schwarzen Striemen". Clearly the characteristic dorsal scutum of this species was the basis for Meigen's name, but his description is somewhat difficult to interpret as the scutum of Ae. dorsalis has a tripartite black marking with two narrow white stripes. Aedes duplex Martini, 1926 Martini, E. (1926) Ueber die Stechmuecken der Umgebung von Saratow. Arbeiten der Biologischen Wo/ga-Station 8, 189-277. Latin, duplex, duplicis = double, twofold Martini described this species from two males collected from the Saratov Region of Russia. He describes how, compared withAedes dorsalis, the two setae on the basal lobe of the gonocoxite of Aedes duplex are copied or replaced by similar ones. " ... Gleicht er auch im wesentlichen den von dorsalis, so sind doch beide Domen am Basallappen der Zangen von dorsalis dUTCh je zwei gleichartige Dornen erstzt ... " Ae. dorsalis has two spines on each basal lobe of each gonocoxite, one fine and straight and one stout and curved. Martini (1930) illustrates the male genitalia ofAe. duplex showing very clearly a pair of similar fine. straight spines on each basal lobe. However, in the text Martini (1930) states that, in contrast to caspius, there are four setae on each basal lobe, two short and two long.