Subgenus Allotheobaldia Brolemann, 1919
Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart, 1838), original combination: Culex longiareolatus.
Subfamily Culicinae, genus Culiseta. Subgenus Allotheobaldia is monobasic. Subgenus abbreviation – All.
The following combinations of characters distinguish subgenus Allotheobaldia from the other subgenera of Culiseta. ADULTS – Head, thorax, abdominal terga and legs with patterns of broad dark and pale scales; maxillary palpus of males shorter than proboscis, about 0.67 as long, swollen distally, junction between palpomeres 2 and 3 usually distinctly visible; scutum with longitudinal lyre-shaped pale stripes; paratergite long, very narrow; pleura scaly, with stripe of broad scales extending along dorsal margin of postspiracular area below paratergite; costa of wing mainly with pale scales, subcostal setae present; femora and tibiae with well-defined pale spots and stripes; abdominal tergum I mainly without scales, laterotergite with scales. FEMALE GENITALIA – Sternum VIII very large, with large posteromedian excavation with rows of setae on either side; tergum IX rather broad, constricted medially, somewhat butterfly-shaped; upper vaginal lip with median bi-lobed process; insula conspicuous, separated from lower vaginal lip. MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX very large, H-shaped, tergum IX lobes long, widely separated, clavate; gonocoxite broad, without apicodorsal lobe; basal mesal lobe with rows of progressively longer setae toward apex; gonostylus truncate, with 2 apical gonostylar claws; phallosome with pair of twisted lateral plates. EGGS – In raft similar to Culex. LARVAE – Antenna short, seta 1-A weakly developed; siphon short, not sclerotised at base, siphon index < 2.5, pecten comprised of simple spines, setae 1a-S and 2a-S absent; saddle incomplete ventrally, covering approximately dorsal half of segment X; seta 2-X multi-branched, seta 3-X single or double; ventral brush (seta 4-X) extended anteriorly on ventral midline of segment, with about 9 pairs of setae, setae more or less unpaired anteriorly. PUPAE – Trumpet short, broad, tracheoid area indefinite; seta 5-IV–VI longer than following tergum; paddle large, broad, distal margin finely spiculate, buttress and midrib distinct; seta 1-Pa short, single; seta 2-Pa absent. See genus Culiseta.
The phylogenetic relationships of Allotheobaldia have not been investigated. Maslov (1967, 1989) suggested that Allotheobaldia may have evolved from “ancient Mediterranean representatives” of subgenus Culiseta.
The immature stages of Cs. longiareolata are found in rock holes and various types of artificial containers, including barrels, tanks and wells, and rarely occur in pools, ditches and drainage canals. They sometimes inhabit slightly saline and highly polluted bodies of water. The species overwinters in the larval stage. Adults are found from February to November in temperate areas. Females do not enter dwellings and rarely bite humans. Birds are the main hosts, but females may produce eggs without a blood meal.
Culiseta longiareolata is not known to be of medical importance to humans.
Southwestern Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions.
Edwards, 1941 (as subgenus of Theobaldia, adults, pupa, identification, distribution); Hopkins, 1952 (as subgenus of Theobaldia, larva, identification, bionomics); DuBose & Curtin, 1965 (Mediterranean area, keys); Gutsevich et al., 1974 (former USSR identification, taxonomy, adults, larvae, distribution, bionomics); Maslov, 1967, 1989 (as genus, taxonomy, identification, adults, larvae, distribution, bionomics); Service, 1990 (Afrotropical Region, identification, adults, larvae, bionomics, distribution); Becker et al., 2010 (Europe, identification, adults, larvae, bionomics, distribution).
longiareolata (Macquart, 1838)
