Rusticoidus Shevchenko & Prudkina, 1973

The species of subgenus Rusticoidus are distinguished from other species of genus Aedes and other Aedini in the Holarctic Region by the following combinations of characters. Characters that diagnose subgenus Rusticoidus in the phylogenetic analyses of Reinert et al. (2009), based on Ae. refiki and Ae. rusticus, are indicated by an asterisk (*).

ADULTS – Large mosquitoes; *ocular line of head broad; antennal pedicel of females with large mesal and *lateral scale-patches (patches sometimes contiguous dorsally); parascutellar area with 1–6 scales and 1–3 setae; scutum and scutellum with narrow scales only; *anterior acrostichal and *posterior acrostichal areas with pale-scaled stripe; membrane posteromesad of metapostnotum with patch of broad scales; *antepronotum with both narrow and broad scales; *postpronotum with only broad decumbent scales; antepronotum, upper proepisternum and prealar area with large number of long setae; *lower proepisternal scales present; hypostigmal area with broad scales; subspiracular area with elongate patch of broad scales; mesepimeron with 1–8 long setae on anteroventral area; metameron with broad scales; remigium of wing with dorsal setae inserted proximally; *ante- and postprocoxal scales present; *hindtarsomere 2 without basal pale scales; ungues of males each toothed, larger fore- and midungues with 2 teeth. FEMALE GENITALIA – Tergum VIII and sternum VIII largely covered with broad spatulate scales (except in Ae. bicristatus), *posterior margin of sternum with median emargination separating broadly rounded lateral lobes; dorsal surface of cercus with broad spatulate scales on distal 0.6, ventral surface with several setae on distal 0.5–0.6 and few broad spatulate scales; postgenital lobe with median apical indentation, ventral surface narrowly connected with upper vaginal lip; upper and lower vaginal sclerites absent; insula lip-like, with 2–4 setae on either side of midline; 3 spermathecal capsules. MALE GENITALIA – Ninth tergal lobes with stout flattened setae; sternum IX with heavily pigmented round median caudal area with setae and similar lateral triangular strips; gonocoxite with basal dorsomesal lobe bearing specialised setae; claspette moderately thick with short annulated filament; aedeagus simple, long and narrow, narrowest in middle, base with circular opening (bearing lateral triangular flaps in some species), apex with small median lobe separating lateral flattened areas bearing minute spicules; paraproct heavily pigmented, with curved pointed apex. LARVAE – Antenna spiculate, seta 1-A short, branched; *seta 1-C single, thin, attenuate distally; seta 4-C branched, inserted slightly posterior to seta 7-C and anteromesal to seta 6-C; seta 5-C inserted caudomesad of seta 6-C, slightly lateral to seta 4-C; *seta 4-P about as long as seta 3-P; *seta 8-P ≥ 1.8 length of seta 4-P; seta 12-P very long, single; *seta 1-M with 3 or more branches; seta 12-I present, short; *seta 3-VII 0.48−0.85 mid-dorsal length of segment X; seta 1-VIII noticeably shorter than setae 3,5-VIII, *0.50–0.95 length of seta 2-VIII; comb scales spine-like, borne in 1 or 2 irregular rows; siphon with an accessory seta 1-S inserted on anterior side of pecten proximal to level of usual seta 1-S (*≥ 2 setae 1-S) and 1–4 accessory anterolateral seta 2a-S; seta 9-S stout, hook-like; pecten with 1 or more distal spines more widely spaced; saddle incomplete ventrally, without acus; ventral brush (seta 4-X) with 2–6 precratal setae and posterior setae on grid with lateral and transverse bars. PUPAE (only known for Ae. quasirusticus and Ae. rusticus) – Seta 11-CT inserted closer to seta 10-CT than to seta 12-CT; seta 2-II,VII inserted lateral to seta 1, seta 2-III–VI inserted mesad of seta 1; seta 5-IV–VI very long; paddle noticeably longer than wide; seta 1-Pa usually single, occasionally forked or branched; seta 2-Pa absent. See genus Aedes.