Subgenus Kompia Aitkin, 1941
Aedes purpureipes Aitken, 1941.
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini, genus Aedes. Subgenus Kompia is monobasic. Subgenus abbreviation – Kom.
The following combinations of features distinguish subgenus Kompia from other generic-level taxa of Aedini. Characters that diagnose Kompia in the phylogenetic analysis of Reinert et al. (2009) are indicated by an asterisk (*).
ADULTS – Dark scaling of head, proboscis, maxillary palpus, legs and abdomen with metallic blue, violet or purple reflections; vertex and interocular space with broad decumbent scales; maxillary palpus and proboscis entirely dark-scaled; scutum with golden longitudinal lines on black background; midlobe of scutellum with broad decumbent scales; paratergite bare; *postspiracular setae absent; yellowish scales at base of femora, tibiae and tarsi entirely dark-scaled; abdominal sterna with yellowish scales. FEMALE GENITALIA – *Tergum VIII with setae on distal 0.70 or more; *posterior margin of sternum VIII more or less uniformly sloping cephalad from apicolateral corners to midline. MALE GENITALIA – Tergum IX lobes prominent, each with series of strongly developed setae; basal tergomesal area of gonocoxite with patch of numerous fine setae and *1 strong stout seta, apical area sternomesal surface with numerous strong elongate setae; *gonostylar claw a moderately broad spiniform with *apex bluntly pointed; aedeagus expanded apically. LARVAE – *Seta 7-C ≤ 0.19 median length of dorsal apotome; *ventromedian cervical sclerite absent; integument of thorax and abdomen spiculose; *seta 7-M as long or longer than seta 5-M; seta 12-I absent; comb scales (3–7) large, spine-like, in single row; ventral brush (seta 4-X) comprised of 7 pairs of setae borne on a boss, posteriormost seta very short and multi-branched; anal papillae sausage-shaped, dorsal pair much longer than ventral pair and curved ventrad. PUPAE – Seta 2-III-V inserted laterad of seta 1; seta 5-IV,V short, 0.4–0.7 length of segment; *paddle with moderately deep apical emargination. See genus Aedes.
Zavortink (1972) stated that Kompia “shows no definite relationship to any other New World group” of Aedini, but noted that some larval features, such as the absence of seta 12-I, the development and position of seta 13-VI, the single seta 3-VII and the boss supporting the ventral brush suggest that the group “may have been derived from the same stock as Abraedes, Aztecaedes, Gymnometopa and Howardina”. Kompia was recovered as sister to a clade comprised of subgenera Aztecaedes + (Abraedes + Lewnielsenius) in the phylogenetic analysis of Aedini conducted by Reinert et al. (2009). Kompia was not associated with other generic-level taxa in the phylogeny of Wilkerson et al. (2015). However, Ae. purpureipes was recovered in a sister relationship with the monobasic subgenus Lewnielsenius in the maximum likelihood phylogeny of Soghigian et al. (2017) based on seven molecular markers, and the pair was sister to a large clade comprised of 37 species of subgenus Ochlerotatus.
The immature stages of Ae. purpureipes are found in tree holes. Adults are known to rest in tree holes and are attracted to artificial lights. Females have been collected landing on and biting humans during the day and at dusk.
The only known species of subgenus Kompia is not known to be of medical and economic importance to humans.
The sole species of Kompia is found in Mexico and southwestern United States (Arizona).
Zavortink, 1972 (taxonomy); Reinert et al., 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 (as genus, morphology, phylogeny); Wilkerson et al., 2015 (phylogeny, classification); Soghigian et al., 2017 (phylogenetic relationships).
