Lateral Hair Research Articles

Aedes hendersoni and Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Wisconsin: Characterization of Larvae, Larval Hybrids, and Comparison of Adult and Hybrid Mesoscutal Patterns1

Studies of approximately 7000 Aedes triseriatus (Say) and Aedes hendersoni Cockerell larvae showed that the frequencies of occurrence (expressed as percentages) of several morphological characteristics among populations of each species are quite constant. In populations of unmixed A. triseriatus , attached acus, 5-branched lateral hair, 2-branched siphonal tuft, unequal gill length, and 6 pairs of 3- to multiple-branched ventral brush hairs predominated. All of these larvae were dark in color when alive. In unmixed A. hendersoni populations, well detached acus, 2- and 3-branched lateral hairs, 3-branched siphonal tuft, equal gill length, and 5 pairs of 2- to 3- branched ventral brush hairs predominated; all of these larvae were light in color when alive. Laboratoryproduced hybrids exhibited predominant percentages of several characteristics, including color, that were intermediate between those of the parent stocks. Less than 0.5% of field-collected larvae appeared to be hybrids. Hybrids showed adult mesoscutal patterns intermediate between A. triseriatus and A. hendersoni. Two mesoscutal patterns were noted in A. hendersoni adults.

A New Species of Orthopodomyia from California (Diptera, Culicidae)1

The California representative of the genus Orthopodomyia has previously been confused with signijera (Coquillett) , a widespread species of eastern United States west to Texas and Nebraska. Considering the geographical separation involved, it is not surprising that the Californian form has characters indicating that it is a distinct species. Differences observed in the adults and pupae of the three United States species are minor but larval differences are well marked. The three species can be separated in the larval stage according to the following key. KEY TO ORTHOPODOMYIA OF AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO BASED ON FOURTH STAGE LARVAE 1. Siphon tuft less than three-fourths (0.47 to 0.68) as long as length of siphon2 beyond insertion of tuft (fig. 2); tuft with 2 to 5 branches; lateral hair of anal segment divided from base into 2 to 4 branches, longest branch about as long as or longer (0.97 to 1.65) than length of siphon before insertion of tuft; no sclerotized plate on abdominal segment VIII ; tran