Genus Paraedes Edwards, 1934
Paraedes barraudi Edwards, 1934 (in Barraud, 1934).
Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Aedini. Paraedes includes nine species. Genus abbreviation – Pr.
Species of Paraedes are characterized and distinguished from species of other genera of Aedini by the following combinations of characters. Characters that diagnose Paraedes in the phylogenetic analyses of Reinert et al. (2009) based on features observed in Pr. barraudi and Pr. ostentatio are indicated by an asterisk (*).
ADULTS – Maxillary palpus of males less than 0.12 length of proboscis; scutum with numerous anterior and posterior dorsocentral setae; *anterior acrostichal area with stripe of pale scales, acrostichal setae usually absent; prescutellar area without scales; paratergite usually bare (with scales in males of Pr. thailandensis and females of Pr. pagei); lower mesepimeral seta absent. FEMALE GENITALIA – Tergum VIII and sternum VIII usually without scales; only 1 large spermathecal capsule present (3 in Pr. menoni); upper vaginal sclerite well developed, narrow; insula tongue-like, distal 0.5 with 2–7 tuberculi, each with a minute spicule; cercus usually without scales, index 2.15–3.48. MALE GENITALIA – *Claspette (basal mesal lobe of Reinert, 1981) comprised of 2 elongate lobes, one long, narrow, curved, with 3 stout apical setae, other broader with 3–5 flattened apical setae or with long narrow spines; gonostylus with 2 or 3 arms (*an elongate lobe on lateral surface present), 1 or 2 arms with spicules forming file-like ridges, 1 arm with fine setae; gonostylar claw absent; aedeagus comprised of 2 approximated lateral plates, each with 1–3 lateral teeth. LARVAE – Antennal scape spiculate, seta 1-A stout, multi-branched; *seta 4-C and seta 6-C inserted at same level, both more or less equal distance from seta 5-C, seta 6-C inserted laterad and slightly cephalad of seta 5-C; seta 7-C inserted caudomesad of base of antenna; seta 6-I–V long, stout, barbed; seta 4-VIII single (rarely 2- or 3-branched in Pr. chrysoscuta), noticeably longer than seta 3-VIII; comb with 7–18 spine-like scales in a single curved row; pecten with distal 1–3 spines more widely spaced than proximal spines; *seta 1-S ≤ 0.40 width of siphon; saddle incomplete, acus absent; seta 2-X moderately long, multi-branched; seta 3-X very long, single; *ventral brush (seta 4-X) on grid with transverse bars. PUPAE – *Seta 5-CT > 1.3 length of seta 4-CT; seta 9-CT longer than seta 8-CT; seta 1-II with 5–22 branches; seta 2-II long, stout, only slightly shorter than seta 3-II, *as long or longer than seta 1-II; *seta 3-I nearly as long or longer than seta 6-I, *seta 3-II longer than seta 6-II; seta 9-VIII long, single (sometimes double in Pr. bonneae); paddle without fringe of hair-like spicules; seta 1-Pa long, single. See Aedini.
Paraedes appears to be most closely related to genera Aedes and Verrallina. In the phylogenetic study of Reinert et al. (2004), the genus was recovered as the sister of Aedes in a clade that also included Verrallina; it was recovered as the sister-genus of Verrallina, rather than Aedes, in a clade comprised of Neomelaniconion + (Edwardsaedes + (Aedes + (Paraedes + Verrallina))) in the studies of Reinert et al. (2009) and Wilkerson et al. (2015). In agreement with thoir results, two species of Paraedes were recovered in a sister relationship to five species of Aedes in the maximum likelihood phylogeny of Soghigian et al. (2017) based on seven molecular markers. The Aedes + Paraedes clade, however, was sister to a clade consisting of Verrallina + Edwardsaedes.
The immature stages of species of Paraedes are usually found in freshwater in crab holes, but they have also been found in holes near streams, elephant footprints, fallen Nipa palm fronds, ground pools and wheel tracks. Habitats are located in partially to heavily shaded forest, plantations, bamboo grooves and scrub areas in valleys, hills and mountainous terrain. Adults of most species are known to feed on humans, sometimes viciously biting during daytime.
Species of Paraedes are not of medical and economic importance to humans.
Species of Paraedes are distributed in the Oriental Region from India and Sri Lanka eastward to the Philippines.
Mattingly, 1958 (as subgenus of Aedes, taxonomy); Reinert, 1981 (as subgenus of Aedes, revision); Reinert, 2000 (as subgenus of Aedes, female genitalia); Reinert et al., 2004, 2009 (generic status, morphology, phylogeny); Rattanarithikul et al., 2010 (Thailand, keys, bionomics); Wilkerson et al., 2015 (as subgenus of Aedes, phylogeny); Soghigian et al., 2017 (as subgenus of Aedes, phylogenetic relationships).
