Himalaius Reinert, Harbach & Kitching, 2006

Characters that diagnose and distinguish Himalaius (represented by Ae. gilli) from its sister taxon, subgenus Bruceharrisonius, in the phylogeny of Aedini recovered in the study of Reinert et al. (2009) are indicated by an asterisk (*).

ADULTS – *Vertex with narrow (medially) and broad (laterally) decumbent scales; occiput with numerous erect forked scales; maxillary palpus and proboscis of both sexes dark-scaled, proboscis approximately equal to length of forefemur; maxillary palpus of males with 5 palpomeres, palpomeres 4 and 5 short, slightly down-turned; *scutum with pale scales covering approximately anterior 0.60, posterior acrostichal area with stripe of similar scales extending and forking to margins of prescutellar bare area, similar pale stripe on posterior dorsocentral area extending to lateral margin of prescutellar setae, *scutal fossa with patch of pale scales, longitudinal pale stripe on supraalar area; *anterior dorsocentral setae absent; scutellum with narrow pale scales on all lobes; paratergite without scales; antepronota widely separated, *with both narrow and broad scales; postpronotum mostly with broad pale scales, narrow scales dorsally; upper proepisternum, upper and lower mesokatepisternum, lower prealar area and mesepimeron with broad pale scales; lower mesepimeral setae absent; wing dark-scaled; upper calypter with setae; alula with narrow dark scales on margin; remigium with few dorsal setae; ante- and postprocoxal membranes without scales; hindfemur without knee spot; hindtibia with basal pale band; hindtarsomeres 1–3 with broad basal pale bands; fore- and midungues of females equal, each with 1 tooth, fore- and midungues of males unequal, larger unguis of each with 2 teeth, smaller unguis with 1 tooth, hindungues of females and males equal and simple; laterotergite of abdominal segment I with pale scale-patch; segment VII laterally compressed in females; *lateral tergal setae long in males. FEMALE GENITALIA – Tergum VIII with broad scales on all but narrow proximal strip; sternum VIII slightly wider than long, some broad scales proximally, posterior margin nearly straight; seta 2-S inserted posterior to seta 1-S; tergum IX with median posterior emargination; *postgenital lobe with rounded apex; lower vaginal sclerite absent; insula lip-like, with few setae in lateral patches; cercus without scales, *apex narrowly rounded; 3 spermathecal capsules. MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX comprised of 2 sclerites; gonocoxite without dorsal apicomesal and *dorsal basomesal lobes, scales present, ventral surface without specialised setae or scales, mesal surface membranous; gonostylus attached at apex, *without setae on distal 0.33, with single gonostylar claw at apex; claspette with single columnar stem and *one stout spiniform; aedeagus simple, tube-like; proctiger *with 2 or 3 apical teeth; cercal setae present. LARVAE – Head with scoop-like pouch anteroventral to antenna; seta 1-A single, extending beyond apex of antenna; *seta 1-C spiniform; seta 4-C inserted near, mesal and slightly posterior to seta 5-C; *seta 5-C single, inserted near, mesal and slightly posterior to seta 6-C, *length ≥ 0.90 length of dorsal apotome; seta 6-C single; *seta 7-C single, rarely double, inserted anterolateral to setae 4–6-C and posterior to antenna, *0.41−0.81 length of dorsal apotome; seta 12-C inserted mesal to seta 13-C; *seta 14-C branched; seta 19-C absent; seta 2-P longer than setae 1,3-P; setae 6,7-P longer than seta 5-P; seta 6-P longer than seta 7-P; *seta 7-P single; seta 1-M approximately 2.9 times length of seta 2-M; *seta 7-M longer than seta 5-M; *seta 6-T branched; seta 12-I present; seta 7-I only slightly shorter than seta 6-I; seta 1-VII very long, with 2 or 3 branches; seta 3-VII inserted lateral and slightly anterior to seta 1-VII; setae 7,10,12-VII and 2,4-VIII branched; comb comprised of 80–94 scales in patch; siphon with attached acus; pecten comprised of 24–36 evenly spaced spines; seta 1-S short, with 6–8 branches, inserted distal to pecten; saddle incomplete, acus absent; seta 1-X branched, inserted on saddle; seta 3-X single; ventral brush (seta 4-X) inserted on grid with both transverse and lateral bars, 2 precratal setae. PUPAE – Seta 1-CT very long, double; seta 3-CT also very long, with 3–5 branches; seta 4-CT shorter than seta 5-CT; seta 7-CT long, with 3–5 branches; seta 11-CT normally with 2 branches; seta 3-I long, with 3 or 4 branches; seta 6-I single or double, longer than seta 7-I; seta 2-II inserted lateral to seta 1-II and mesal to seta 3-II; seta 3-II with 2 or 3 branches, *longer than seta 6-II; seta 4-II inserted mesal to seta 5-II; seta 6-II long, single to 3-branched, longer than seta 7-II; seta 3-III long, with 2 branches; seta 5-IV,V exceptionally long; seta 2-IV inserted mesal to setae 1,3-IV; seta 6-VII inserted mesal and slightly anterior to seta 9-VII; *seta 9-VIII inserted noticeably anterior to posterior margin of segment; paddle ovoid, without hair-like spicules on margins; seta 1-Pa single, 0.65–1.02 length of paddle. See Aedes.