Subgenus Menolepis Lutz, 1905
Wyeomyia leucostigma Lutz, 1904 (in Bourroul, 1904).
Subfamily Culicinae, genus Wyeomyia. Subgenus Menolepis is monobasic. Subgenus abbreviation – Men.
Menolepis has not been studied in detail, but the following combinations of features should distinguish the only known species from species of the other subgenera of Wyeomyia. ADULTS ‒ Proboscis short, expanded apically; scutum and scutellum dark-scaled; mesopostnotum with patch of silvery scales anterior to setae; paratergite without scales; antepronotum with iridescent blue scales; lower mesokatepisternal setae extending above dorsal margin of mesomeron; upper calypter of wing without marginal setae. MALE GENITALIA ‒ Tergum IX lobes small, well separated, each with 4 or 5 close-set apically curved setae; gonocoxite with tergal triad; gonostylus short, stout, simple, mesal surface with numerous fine hair-like setae; apex with 3 short thick setae; aedeagus broad, widest at mid-length, submedian tergal arms weakly connected or unconnected, apical tergal arms fused (forming an apical tergal bridge); proctiger with 2 or more apical teeth, cercal setae present. LARVAE ‒ Setae 4‒6-C single, widely separated, 5-C inserted more or less on level with seta 7-C; seta 1-A single, flexible, inserted on apical 0.25 of antenna; seta 3-Mx of maxilla not borne in lateral cup-like notch, seta 4-Mx single, acute, seta 6-Mx single; seta 11-P,M,T single, spiniform; comb plate absent, comb scales in 2 or 3 rows; siphon with 2 posterolateral rows of pecten spines, seta 1-S single, inserted about 0.25 from base of siphon, seta 1a-S absent, 5 or 6 seta 2a-S present, branched; saddle without posterolateral spicules; seta 4-X multi-branched, long, nearly as long as seta 1-X. PUPAE ‒ Cephalothorax and abdomen without spots; trumpet not flattened or laterally expanded; seta 2-III‒VII inserted mesal to seta 1; seta 6-VII inserted on tergum posterior to seta 9-VII; paddle long, about twice as long as tergum VIII, narrowed and spiculate apically. See genus Wyeomyia.
Menolepis was recovered as the sister to Wy. negrensis in the morphology-based phylogeny of Wyeomyia generated by Motta et al. (2007). A clade comprised of Prosopolepis + (Onirion personatum + Wy. melanocephala) was the sister of Menolepis + Wy. negrensis. The subgeneric placement of Wy. melanocephala and Wy. negrensis is uncertain.
Larvae of Wy. leucostigma have only been found in the leaf axils of cattails (Typha) (Lutz, in Bourroul, 1904; Belkin et al., 1971). Females have been collected on humans during all times of the day and occasionally at night (Lourenço-de-Oliveira & da Silva, 1985). Nothing else is known about the bionomics of the species.
The distribution of subgenus Menolepis is poorly known. Wyeomyia leucostigma is only recorded from localities in Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.
Motta et al., 2007 (morphology, phylogenetic relationships).
leucostigma Lutz, 1904 (in Bourroul, 1904)
