Genus Luius Reinert, Harbach & Kitching, 2008
Luius fengi (Edwards, 1935), original combination: Aedes (Finlaya) fengi.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini. Luius is monobasic. Genus abbreviation – Lu.
Luius is characterised and distinguished from other genera of Aedini by the following combinations of characters. Characters that diagnose the genus in the preferred cladogram of Reinert et al. (2009) are indicated by an asterisk (*).
ADULTS – Vertex with narrow decumbent scales; erect scales on occiput and vertex; eyes continuous; antennal pedicel with patch of broad pale scales on mesal surface; maxillary palpus of females dark-scaled, with 4 palpomeres, maxillary palpus of males with 5 palpomeres, about 0.8 length of proboscis, *palpomeres 4 and 5 nearly straight, with few ventrolateral setae; proboscis dark-scaled, about as long as forefemur; scutum with pattern of narrow pale scales interposed by dark scales, including *pale stripe on anterior dorsocentral area; acrostichal setae and dorsocentral setae present; *scutellum with narrow scales on all lobes; antepronota widely separated, with broad pale scales; broad pale scales on postpronotum, postspiracular area, subspiracular area, upper proepisternum, mesokatepisternum, lower prealar area and mesepimeron; lower mesepimeral setae absent; wing dark-scaled, upper calypter with numerous marginal setae, alula with narrow scales on margin; remigium with 1–3 dorsal setae; ante- and postprocoxal scales absent; base of hindcoxa below dorsal margin of mesomeron; hindfemur with dorsoapical pale patch; tibiae dark-scaled; hindtarsomeres 1–3 with narrow basal pale bands or dorsobasal pale spot; anterior and posterior fore- and midungues of females equal, each with 1 tooth, fore- and midungues of males unequal, larger unguis with 2 teeth, smaller unguis with 1 tooth, hindungues equal and simple in both sexes; abdominal terga II–VIII dark-scaled with basolateral pale patches (*tergum III without basomedian pale scaling), terga of male with few short lateral setae, segment VII of females laterally compressed. FEMALE GENITALIA – Tergum VIII wider than long, *posterior margin straight, broad scales on posterior 0.6; sternum VIII wider than long, posterior margin with median emargination, scales absent; tergum IX with median posterior emargination separating narrow pointed lobes; postgenital lobe long, narrow, *apical margin straight or slightly emarginate; lower vaginal sclerite absent; insula lip-like, with few setae; 3 spermathecal capsules. MALE GENITALIA – *Tergum IX with few stout (somewhat flattened) setae; gonocoxite with small dorsomesal lobe near base, lateral and ventral surfaces with numerous broad scales; gonostylus narrow, with narrow terminal gonostylar claw; claspette with relatively stout columnar stem bearing a broad flattened claspette filament apically; aedeagus tube-like, broader proximally. LARVAE – Antenna about 0.45 length of dorsal apotome, narrow, spicules absent, seta 1-A double or triple; *seta 1-C single, thin, distally attenuate; seta 4-C inserted mesal and slightly posterior to seta 6-C; seta 5-C single, stout, inserted posterolateral to seta 6-C; seta 6-C with 2 stout branches; seta 7-C with 2 or 3 stout branches, inserted posterolateral to setae 4,6-C and anterolateral to seta 5-C; seta 13-C single, inserted anterior and slightly mesal to seta 12-C; seta 19-C absent; *setae 1–3-P borne on common setal support plate, 1-P very long, stout; seta 6-I–V double; seta 7-I single, shorter than seta 6-I; seta 12-I present; comb scales in patch; *seta 1-VII 0.48−0.85 length of segment X; siphon with attached acus, pecten comprised of numerous evenly spaced spines, seta 1-S inserted distal to pecten; saddle incomplete, *with numerous long stout spicules on dorsoposterior margin; seta 1-X single, inserted on saddle; ventral brush (seta 4-X) borne on grid with transverse bars, with 2 precratal setae. PUPAE – *Cephalothorax with clear unpigmented spots; seta 1-CT single, long, stout, noticeably longer than setae 2,3-CT; setae 4,5-CT more or less equally developed; *seta 3-I shorter than seta 6-I; seta 2-II inserted lateral to seta 1-II and slightly mesal to seta 3-II, seta 2-VI inserted mesal to seta 3-VI; seta 5-IV–VII single, long, stout; seta 6-VII inserted mesal and slightly *anterior to seta 9-VII; seta 9-VII single to triple, seta 9-VIII with few branches, inserted on posterolateral corner of segment; paddle rounded apically, without hair-like marginal spicules, midrib extends to apex; seta 1-Pa single (rarely forked at tip). See Aedini.
Luius was recovered as the sister of Finlaya in the phylogenetic study of Reinert et al. (2008), and the Luius + Finlaya clade was sister to Macleaya. In the more comprehensive study of Reinert et al. (2009), Luius was recovered as the sister of Macleaya in a clade comprised of Rampamyia + (Molpemyia + (Luius + Macleaya)). Luius was also recovered as the sister to Macleaya in the study of Wilkerson et al. (2015). In contrast, Luius was recovered in a sister relationship with the only species of Danielsia (Dn. albotaeniata) included in the maximum likelihood phylogeny of Soghigian et al. (2017) based on seven molecular markers.
The immature stages of Lu. fengi have only been found in bamboo stumps. Adult females fiercely bite humans in bamboo forest.
The only species of Luius is not known to be of medical and economic importance to humans.
China (Chekiang and Hunan Provinces) and Taiwan.
Lu & Ji, 1997 (as Aedes fengi, taxonomy); Reinert et al., 2008, 2009 (generic status, morphology, phylogeny); Reinert, 2009 (female genitalia). Wilkerson et al., 2015 (as subgenus of Aedes, phylogeny); Soghigian et al., 2017 (as subgenus of Aedes, phylogenetic relationships).
