Poweri Group

Type species: 

Aedes poweri (Theobald, 1905), original combination: Stegomyia poweri.

Classification: 

Subfamily Culicinae, genus Aedes, subgenus Stegomyia. The Poweri Group includes 11 species.

Characteristics: 

Species of the Poweri Group are distinguished from other species and groups of subgenus Stegomyia by the following combination of characters (adapted mainly from Huang, 2004). ADULTS ‒ Maxillary palpus with pale scaling; scutum with patch of broadened pale falcate scales on scutal fossa; dorsocentral setae present; scutellum with broad pale scales on all lobes; paratergite with broad pale scales; subspiracular area with broad pale scales; postspiracular scales present or absent; knee spot present on midfemur, absent on forefemur, midfemur with large pale spot on anterior surface; anterior surface of hindtibia with or without basal pale stripe; hindtarsomeres 1‒3 with basal pale bands,. MALE GENITALIA ‒ Group characters not evident. LARVAE and PUPAE ‒ Not studied in detail; group characters unknown. See subgenus Stegomyia.

Phylogenetic relationships: 

The affinities of the Poweri Group are unknown and will remain so until the species and species groups of subgenus Stegomyia are better known and studied using objective methods of phylogenetic analysis.

Bionomics and disease relations: 

Larvae of Ae. chaussieri, Ae. ethiopiensis and Ae. mpusiensis are unknown and the larva of Ae. ledgeri has not been described. Larvae of the other species of the Poweri Group most often develop in tree holes, but they have also been found in bamboo stems bored by caterpillars (Ae. angustus, viz. Hopkins, 1952), rot holes (Ae. contiguus, viz. Hopkins, 1952), stump holes (Ae. hogsbackensis, viz. Huang, 2004) and tins (Ae. calceatus, viz. Muspratt, 1945). Hopkins (1952) mentioned that larvae of Ae. contiguus had been found in axils of Pandanus and a snail shell, but these records are doubtful (Mattingly, 1953). Seven species of the Poweri Group (Ae. angustus, Ae. chaussieri, Ae. contiguus, Ae. hogsbackensis, Ae. langata, Ae. ledgeri and Ae. usambara) are known to bite humans (Huang, 2004).

Species of the Poweri Group are not known to be of medical importance to humans.

Distribution: 

Species of the Poweri Group are recorded from countries south of the Sahara Desert, but are absent from Madagascar. One or more species of the group are known to occur in each of the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Principal references: 

Huang, 2004 (diagnosis based on adults, identification key).

Species: 

angustus Edwards, 1935
calceatus Edwards, 1924 (in Haworth, 1924)
chaussieri Edwards, 1923
contiguus Edwards, 1936
ethiopiensis Huang, 2004
hogsbackensis Huang, 2004
langata van Someren, 1946
ledgeri Huang, 1981
mpusiensis Huang, 2004
poweri (Theobald, 1905)
usambara Mattingly, 1953

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith