Genus Sabethes Robineau-Desvoidy, 1827
Sabethes locuples Robineau-Desvoidy, 1827 [subjective synonym of Sabethes cyaneus (Fabricius, 1805)].
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Sabethini. Sabethes currently includes 42 described species classified in five subgenera: Davismyia (1 species), Peytonulus (13 species), Sabethinus (6 species), Sabethes (18 species) and Sabethoides (4 species). Genus abbreviation – Sa.
Sabethes are brilliantly coloured mosquitoes with a smooth covering of metallic green, blue, violet, gold and silver scales. The scutum is uniformly clothed in broad, flat scales and setae are present only on the extreme anterior margin and on the supraalar areas. The antepronota are large and close together. Prealar setae are absent in all species except Sa. petrocchiae of subgenus Davismyia. Most species of subgenus Sabethes have “paddles” of outstanding scales on some or all of the legs. The maxillae of Sabethes larvae have a prominent apical tooth and the maxillary palpus is fused with the maxillary body. A few species of Wyeomyia have a similar apical tooth on the maxilla, but the palpus is not fused with the maxillary body. See Sabethini.
The phyletic affinities of Sabethes are uncertain. Based on morphological data, the genus was recovered as the sister of Wyeomyia in the phylogenetic analysis of Judd (1996), as the sister of Limatus in the analyses of Harbach & Kitching (1998) and Harbach & Peyton (2000), and was placed as the sister of Limatus + Malaya when Harbach et al. (2007) included Kimia in the data set of Harbach & Peyton (2000). The phylogeny of the subgenera and species has not been investigated.
Sabethes are forest mosquitoes. The larvae inhabit plant cavities, primarily bamboo and tree holes, but bromeliads reportedly harbour a few species. The larval habitats of most species are unknown. Adults are active during the daylight hours. They are attracted to humans on the ground but are most abundant in the forest canopy. Blood-seeking species of subgenus Sabethes approach humans slowly and have a predilection for landing on the nose. Sabethes cyaneus (subgenus Sabethes) and Sa. chloropterus (subgenus Sabethoides) are known to exhibit complex courtship and copulatory behaviours (Hancock et al., 1990; Zsemlye et al., 2005).
Sabethes chloropterus appears to play a role in the transmission of yellow fever virus in Central America. Ilheus and St. Louis encephalitis viruses have also been isolated from this species in Panama, and the latter virus has been isolated from Sa. belisarioi in Brazil.
The single species of subgenus Davismyia occurs in South America. The other subgenera have species in Central as well as South America.
Lane, 1953 (see Harbach, 1991 for taxonomic changes); Forattini, 1965 (genus description, bionomics, distribution); Cova-Garcia et al., 1966 (Venezuela, genus description, keys to species, literature); Clark-Gil & Darsie, 1983 (Guatemala, keys); Darsie, 1985 (Argentina, keys); Harbach, 1991 (subgenera, morphological distinctions); Harbach & Peyton, 1993 (comparative morphology of larval maxillae); Harbach, 1994 (subgenus Sabethinus, subgenus and species descriptions, keys, bionomics, distributions); Neves et al., 2024 (Brazil, keys to adult females, bionomics, distributions).
Davismyia (see).
Peytonulus (see).
Sabethes (see).
Sabethinus (see).
Sabethoides (see).
lutzii Theobald, 1903
