Subgenus Christophersiomyia Barraud, 1923
Aedes thomsoni (Theobald, 1905), original combination: Stegomyia thomsoni.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini, genus Aedes. Subgenus Christophersiomyia includes five species. Subgenus abbreviation – Chr.
Species of subgenus Christophersiomyia are easily distinguished from those of other generic-level taxa of tribe Aedini that occur in the Oriental and Australasian Regions by one or more of the distinctive features listed below. Characters (21) that diagnose the Christophersiomyia clade recovered in the cladistic analysis of Reinert et al. (2009) are preceded by an asterisk (*). ADULTS – Ornate; vertex of head with broad decumbent scales; erect scales confined to occiput; *proboscis with pale scales form *band near midlength; maxillary palpus short, comprised of 3 palpomeres (both sexes); acrostichal setae and *dorsocentral setae absent; scutellum with broad decumbent scales; paratergite, postprocoxal membrane, *lower prealar area (below prealar knob) and *metameron with scales; *lower mesepimeral setae present; *dorsal tertiary fringe scales present on proximal 0.5 of wing in males; legs usually with bands or spots of pale scales; both ungues of all legs, notably hindungues of *males and *females, both toothed; laterotergite of abdominal segment I completely covered with scales; *segment VII dorsoventrally flattened. FEMALE GENITALIA – Segment VIII completely retracted; *tergum VIII with setae on distal 0.7, *posterior margin convex. MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX long, ninth tergal lobes short, each with group of short setae; gonocoxite imple, without lobes, with scales on lateral and ventral surfaces; gonostylus simple; gonostylar claw a *relatively narrow spiniform, with *truncate apex; claspette a small poorly developed lobe with numerous simple setae; aedeagus *widest in distal third, apparently formed of 2 lateral plates with distal parts strongly curved mesally and fused apically, without teeth (except Ae. gombakensis); proctiger poorly sclerotised except for paraproct, paraproct with single stout tooth; cercal setae absent. LARVAE – Median labral plate extremely narrow, indistinct; seta 1-C very long, slender; antenna with seta 1-A inserted near midlength; *seta 3-P longer than seta 2-P; *seta 4-P shorter than seta 3-P; *seta 5-P single; *seta 8-P >1.8 times length of seta 4-P; seta 12-I absent; *seta 1-VIII >1.1 times length of seta 2-VIII; comb scales spine-like with fine basal fringes, in single row; siphon short to moderately long, siphon index 2.0–4.0, acus absent or small and detached; saddle incomplete; seta 2-X double; ventral brush (seta 4-X) with 4 pairs of setae, grid or boss absent. PUPAE – Seta 1-CT long, single to 7-branched; *seta 3-I shorter than seta 6-I; paddle ovoid, midrib ends before apex; seta 1-Pa long, *0.4–0.6 paddle length, normally single. See Aedes.
Belkin (1962) and Abercrombie (1977) surmised that subgenus Christophersiomyia has has closest affinities with subgenera Stegomyia and Bothaella, respectively, but this is not supported by the phylogenetic study of Reinert et al. (2009) in which Christophersiomyia was placed in a clade comprising a pectinate series of other subgenera: Polyleptiomyia + (Bifidistylus + (Albuginosus + (Tewarius + (Christophersiomyia) + Huaedes + Leptosomatomyia))))). Christophersiomyia was recovered in a polytomy with subgenus Tewarius and a clade comprised of other generic-level taxa, i.e. (Armigeres + (Alanstonea + Eretmapodites)) + (Huaedes + Leptosomatomyia), the phylogenetic study of Wilkerson et al. (2015). Further research is needed to elucidate the affinities of Christophersiomyia.
Species of subgenus Christophersiomyia are rarely collected and little is known of their bionomics. The immature stages have been found in tree holes, stump holes, water butts, woodpecker holes, rock pools of streams, coconut shells and spathes. The females of several species have been collected feeding on humans.
Species of subgenus Christophersiomyia are of no medical or economic importance to humans.
Christophersiomyia species occur in the Oriental Region, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
Abercrombie, 1977 (taxonomy); Reinert, 2000 (female genitalia); Reinert et al., 2004 (as genus, morphology, phylogeny); Reinert et al., 2009 (as genus, morphology, phylogeny); Rattanarithikul et al., 2010 (as genus, Thailand, keys, bionomics); Wilkerson et al., 2015 (phylogeny, classification).
