AEDES 613 



The genus includes several groups which are somewhat defined by their habits 

 in the early stages, as will be described in the following, but they are not suffi- 

 ciently differentiated to be susceptible of generic separation. Even Stegomyia, 

 proposed for Culex fasciatus Fabricius, can not be recognized as a genus or sub- 

 genus. The scaling of the clypeus is not of generic value, while the larvae are 

 typical A'edes. A number of species grouping around this species depart from 

 the typical Aedes in that some of the posterior segments of the female abdomen 

 are more or less expanded. All the forms with simple claws are so modified, 

 but others retain the toothed claws and there appears to be no dependable line of 

 demarcation between these forms and the typical Aedes. 



F. W. Edwards recognizes five genera, Banksinella, Stegomyia, Ochlerotatus, 

 Howardina and Aedes, for the group here indicated under the last name. He 

 discusses Ochlerotatus, Stegomyia and Aedes as follows: " Ochlerotatus differs 

 from A'edes in having the male palpi elongate, about equal in length to the 

 proboscis ; and from Stegomyia in having the last two joints of the ^ palpi 

 more or less swollen, and with distinct hair tufts; the penultimate joint is a 

 little longer and distinctly thicker than the terminal. There is apparently no 

 structural character by which the females of A'edes, Ochlerotatus, and Stegomyia 

 can be distinguished, and this lends support to the view held by Dyar and Knab, 

 that the three genera should all be merged into A'edes. The difference in the 

 males, however, is so striking, that it is difficult to see how they can all be re- 

 garded as belonging to one genus. The three genera are here treated as 

 distinct, though it is recognised that they are much more closely related among 

 themselves than any of them are to the Culex and Tceniorhynchus [=Mansonia] 

 group" (Bull. Ent. Ees., iii, 15, 1912), Discussing Stegomyia on a previous 

 page, this author says : " If the genus as now defined is dismembered, it may 

 be found necessary to restrict it to the type species, S. fasciafa, which has a 

 very peculiar character in the scaly clypeus. However, the line taken by Dyar 

 and Knab, of sinking both Stegomyia, and Ochlerotatus under A'edes would 

 be wiser, probably, than further subdivision " (1. c, p. 8 ) . In a more recent 

 paper Edwards refers two other genera, Armigeres Theobald {Desvoidya 

 Blanchard) and Leicesteria Theobald, to the A'edes group (Bull. Ent. Ees., 

 iv, 256, 1914). "The two genera together form a distinct division of the 

 A'edes group, distinguished by the peculiar structure of the male genitalia 

 and (probably) by the structure of the larvae, those of Armigeres having neither 

 hair-tuft nor pecten on the siphon-tube." These two genera are confined to the 

 Oriental region and have not been studied by us ; they appear to be sufficiently 

 distinct to be given generic rank. We include all but the two genera last 

 mentioned under A'edes. The females of the forms so included offer no char- 

 acters for generic division, nor do we find a sufficient coordination of larval 

 and male genitalic characters for the demarcation of groups. Edwards relies 

 upon the differences in the male palpi to define his groups, but, aside from 

 practical consideration (the males being often unavailable to the student and 

 in some cases unknovm), we think that some forms are intergradient in their 

 palpal structure. We have felt obliged to include under A'edes certain forms 

 with simple claws in the female. These are grouped under Howardina by 

 Edwards. Their relationship with the toothed-clawed forms is intimate and 

 obvious, but we do not consider that these forms are all so closely related to 

 each other that their segregation is warranted. 



Arribalzaga's genus Heteronycha has been referred to the synonymy of 

 Culex by Coquillett, a procedure altogether in contradiction with the char- 

 acters originally indicated. In Arribalzaga's generic table Culex is said to 

 have simple claws in both sexes and Heteronycha is distinguished from it 

 as follows : " Ungues maris infra denticulo acuto armati, antici at medii 



