Subgenus Belkinius Reinert, 1982
Aedes aurotaeniatus (Edwards, 1922), original combination: Stegomyia aureostriata.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini, genus Aedes. Subgenus Belkinius is monobasic. Subgenus abbreviation – Blk.
Subgenus Belkinius, like most generic-level taxa of tribe Aedini, is diagnosed and distinguished by a combination of characters. Characters that define the Belkinius clade in the phylogenetic analysis of Reinert et al. (2009) are indicated with an asterisk (*). ADULTS – Somewhat similar to the adults of subgenus Stegomyia. Vertex of head with broad decumbent scales; few short erect forked scales confined to occiput; *interocular space with broad scales; antenna distinctly shorter than proboscis; flagellomeres 1–12 of males with scales on proximal side of flagellar whorls; maxillary palpus very short (both sexes); *scutal scales narrow, *entirely pale; acrostichal setae absent; few anterior dorsocentral setae present, *posterior dorsocentral setae absent, *length of dorsocentral area with stripe of pale scales; *scutal fossa with contrasting areas of pale scales; *prescutellar space covered with scales; upper proepisternum with broad scales and 2–4 setae, lower area bare; mesepimeron with 1–4 setae above scale-patch, lower mesepimeral setae absent; anal vein (vein 1A) ends at or slightly distal of intersection of cubitus anterior (vein CuA) and mediocubital crossvein; *hindtibia entirely dark-scaled; both ungues of *fore- and midlegs toothed in females, equal and without tooth in males. FEMALE GENITALIA – *Tergum VIII and *sternum VIII without or with few adventitious scales; tergum IX short, band-like, without setae; postgenital lobe moderately long and wide with concave lateral margins; insula tongue-like with few tuberculi on apical 0.35; MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX trilobed, *without setae; gonocoxite short and broad; basal mesal lobe short, near mesal surface of gonocoxite; gonostylus large, *noticeably broader at mid-length than proximally, with blade-like spines, *gonostylus/gonocoxite index ≥0.73; gonostylar claw absent; aedeagus with 2 lateral plates, each with apical teeth. LARVAE – Unknown. PUPAE – *Cephalothorax (metanotum) with clear unpigmented spots; trumpet with long pinna; *seta 5-CT >1.3 length of seta 4-CT; *seta 13-CT present; seta 2-I short; seta 3-I very long; *seta 5-II posterior or posterolateral to seta 4-II; paddle with fringe of long hair-like spicules; *midrib strongly developed and extended to apex of paddle; seta 1-Pa single with recurved tip. See Aedes.
Belkinius appears to have closest affinity with genus Zeugnomyia, as indicated in the clade recovered in the morphological phylogeny of Reinert et al. (2009) that comprises Lorrainea + (((Udaya + (Belkinius + Zeugnomyia)) + (Eretmapodites + Armigeres)). This sister-group association of Belkinius and Zeugnomyia was also recovered in the study of Reinert et al. (2004) based on an analysis of fewer morphological characters. Belkinius fell within a polytomy with subgenus Bothaella, subgenus Catatassomyia, and genera Udaya and Zeugnomyia in the phylogeny reconstructed by Wilkerson et al. (2015).
Aedes aurotaeniatus occurs in hilly, mountainous areas. Females are known to bite humans in areas of high altitude. The immature stages have only been found in the axil of a wild banana tree.
Aedes aurotaeniatus is of no medical or economic importance to humans.
The type species of subgenus Belkinius is only known from Negros Occidental and Mindoro Oriental Provinces of the Philippine Islands.
Reinert, 1982 (taxonomy); Reinert, 2000 (female genitalia); Reinert et al., 2004, 2009 (as genus, morphology, phylogeny); Wilkerson et al., 2015 (phylogeny, classification).
