Aedes geniculatus (Olivier, 1791), original combination: Culex geniculatus.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini, genus Aedes. Subgenus Dahliana includes three species. Subgenus abbreviation – Dah.
Species of subgenus Dahliana are easily distinguished from those of other generic-level taxa of tribe Aedini that occur in the Palaearctic Region by one or more of the distinctive features listed below. Characters (10) that diagnose the Dahliana clade recovered in the cladistic analysis of Reinert et al. (2009) are preceded by an asterisk (*). ADULTS – Vertex of head with narrow pale falcate scales; numerous erect scales on vertex and occiput; ocular line with narrow pale scales; eyes narrowly separated above antennal pedicels; maxillary palpus and proboscis dark-scaled in both sexes, proboscis longer than forefemur; scutum with narrow falcate scales, narrow longitudinal pale stripes on *anterior and posterior acrostichal area, posterior dorsocentral area extending on side of prescutellar setae and on anterior and lateral margins of prescutellar bare area; antealar area with pale scales extending as narrow stripe on supraalar area; scutal fossa covered with pale scales; *acrostichal (including *posterior acrostichal setae) and dorsocentral setae present; scutellum with narrow falcate scales on lateral lobes; broad pale scales on paratergite, antepronotum, postpronotum (also some dark scales), *postspiracular and subspiracular areas, upper proepisternum, upper and lower mesokatepisternum, prealar area and mesepimeron; lower mesepimeral setae absent; wing dark-scaled, upper calypter with several setae on margin, *dorsal tertiary fringe scales present on proximal 0.5 of wing in males; ante- and postprocoxal membranes bare; hindfemur with well-developed apical pale band; fore- and midungues of female equal, each with 1 tooth, fore- and midungues of males unequal, larger unguis with 2 teeth, smaller with 1 tooth, hindungues equal, simple[/no-glossry] in both sexes; laterotergite of [no-lexicon]abdominal segment I with patch of pale scales. FEMALE GENITALIA – See Reinert (2008). MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX comprised of 2 broad lateral plates each with posteromesal lobe bearing 2–6 flattened setae; sternum IX with setae; gonocoxite with scales on dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces; gonostylus attached at apex of gonocoxite, with single gonostylar claw at apex; claspette with columnar stem, claspette filament long, somewhat flattened, slightly curved and pointed; aedeagus simple, tube-like; proctiger with few to several cercal setae. LARVAE – Antenna without spicules; seta 1-A single or double; seta 1-C single; seta 4-C multiple-branched, inserted mesal to seta 6-C; seta 5-C single, inserted posterior to setae 4,6,7-C; seta 6-C with 1–3-branches, inserted more or less directly anterior to seta 5-C and mesal to seta 7-C; seta 7-C double or triple; seta 12-C branched, inserted mesal to seta 13-C; seta 13-C single, longer than seta 12-C; seta 14-C short, branched; seta 19-C absent; setae 1–3-P inserted on common setal support plate; seta 5-P double, *longer than seta 6-P; seta 8-P multiple-branched; *seta 1-M longer ≥3.5 times length of seta 2-M; seta 4-M single; seta 5-M longer than seta 7-M; *seta 1-T on setal support plate; setae 2,6-T, 7-I,II, 8-II, 12-VII and 2,4-VIII single; *seta 1-I,II similarly developed; seta 12-I present; seta 1-VII stellate; *seta 3-VII at same level or posterior to seta 1-VII; comb comprised of several scales in single row; siphon with attached acus; seta 1-S multiple-branched, inserted distal to pecten; saddle incomplete, acus absent; seta 1-X branched, inserted on saddle; setae of ventral brush (seta 4-X) usually with 2–4 branches arising from long stem, inserted on grid with both transverse and lateral bars, 2 precratal setae. PUPAE (based on Ae. geniculatus) – Setae 1,3-CT similar, normally double; seta 11-CT single; seta 3-I single, shorter than 6-I; seta 6-I longer than seta 7-I; seta 2-II inserted lateral to setae 1,3-II; seta 3-II normally single, shorter than seta 6-II; seta 5-II longer than seta 3-II, slightly shorter than seta 6-II, inserted lateral to seta 4-II; setae 3,6-III long, single; seta 5-V longer than tergum VI; seta 2-VI inserted anterolateral to seta 1-VI and mesal to seta 3-VI; seta 6-VII short, inserted posteromesal to seta 9-VII; seta 9-VII,VIII moderately long, aciculate, 9-VII usually double, seta 9-VIII usually double or triple (range 2–5 branches); paddle much longer than wide, margins without hair-like spicules, midrib complete to spex; seta 1-Pa single. See Aedes.
The subgenus was placed in a sister-group relationship to a pair of terminal clades in the cladistic analyses of Reinert et al. (2009) based on anatomical characters of all life stages. The two clades of the sister group comprised 10 gneric-level taxa: Howardina + (Gymnometopa + (Kompia + (Aztecaedes + (Abraedes + Lewnielsenius)))) and (Finlaya + Danielsia) + (Downsiomyia + Haemagogus). Relationships of Dahliana with other generic-level taxa of Aedini were not resolved in the phylogeny of Wilkerson et al. (2015).
The immature stages normally inhabit tree holes, but they are also found in open tree stumps, root holes and pools in rocks.
Dahliana species are of no medical or economic importance to humans.
Dahliana species are found in the Palaearctic Region.
Reinert et al., 2006, 2008, 2009 (as genus, morphology, phylogeny); Reinert, 2008 (as genus, female genitalia); Wilkerson et al., 2015 (phylogeny, classification).