Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
see Remarks section below
Identification
Larva:
- siphon without basal pair of branched ventral setae
- siphon with one pair of ventral setae
- anal segment not completely ringed by saddle, if complete not pierced by tufts of ventral brush
Adult:
- abdomen pointed
- prespiracular setae absent
Life Cycle
Overwinter as eggs
Eggs are laid singly, above the water rim such as:
Remarks
Almost all North American species formerly placed in the genus Aedes were reclassified as Ochlerotatus species by John Reinert in the year 2000. There continues to be considerable oppostition to the new classification but the genus name Ochlerotatus is now (2005) in widespread use.
After Reinert's reclassification in 2000, the few species that remained in Aedes included:
A. aegypti
A. albopictus
A. cinereus
A. vexans
In 2004, the group of Reinert, Kitching, and Harbach proposed elevating 46 other former subgenera of Aedine mosquitoes to the genus level. To anyone who has adopted this additional change, the first two species listed above are now considered Stegomyia aegypti and Stegomyia albopicta.
Print References
Reinert, John F. 2000. New classification for the composite genus Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini), elevation of subgenus Ochlerotatus to generic rank, reclassification of the other subgenera, and notes on certain subgenera and species. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 16(3):175-188.
[full article in PDF format available in "classification change" link below]
Internet References
mosquito name policy of the Journal of Medical Entomology and several other medical or vector/disease control journals in reference to names of Aedine mosquito genera and subgenera (Entomological Society of America)
classification change; PDF doc elevating
Ochlerotatus to genus level (John Reinert,
in Journal of the American Mosquio Control Association, 2000)
changes to names of Florida mosquitoes; PDF doc (John Reinert,
in Newsletter of the Florida Mosquito Control Association, 2005)
