Research on the mosquitoes of Angola - Systematic Catalog of ...

RIBEIRO, H. & RAMOS, H. Cunha -- <strong>Research</strong> ot the mosquitoes of Azgola -- X
According to the preceding notes, it is the view of the present
writers that C. univittatus Theo. sould be treated as a polymorphic
species, forms neavei and perexiguus being of the infrasubspecific level.
Ribeiro et al. (92), in a quite recent paper dealing white Portuguese mosquitoes,
have also arrived to the conclusion that form neavei would be
better treated as an infrasubspecific variation of C. univittatus Theo.
Other important characters of the Angolan adult population of C.
univittatus are as follows: postspiracular scales present (and numerous)
in all the 48 specimens (22 , 26 ) examined; anterior surface of hind
tibia with an obvious pale stripe in 42 out of the 48 specimens, absent
or faint only in 1 female and 5 males; spot at apex of hind tibia conspicuous;
a few, at least, pale scales present at base of costa; ornamentation
of the abdominal tergites and sternites markedly variable, much
as described by Edwards (8).
In that concerns larval univittatus it is also known to be subjected
to much variation, though no larval forms were ever described. The
main characters of Angolan larvae (30 specimens examined, from the
same breeding places as the above studied reared adults) are as follows:
head setae A usually with 7 or 8 branches (range 6-9), B with 2-4 branches,
C usually with 3 or 4 branches, occasionally bifid, and d always
single; comb of abdominal segment viii with 32-65 scales (mean 46);
siphon index 4.5-7.5 (mean 5.5), usually 5-6; pecten with 8-14 spines,
mean 11.3; mean number of branches in siphonal tufts about 3, though
individual tufts may be reduced to a single seta; saddle hair with 2-6
branches, usually trifid. The variation found on larval univittatus from
Angola was also of an obvious infrasubspecific kind.
DISTRIBUTION. C. univittatus is widely distributed in the Ethiopian
Region, with two other isolated refuge populations, a western Mediterranean
one, known from Portugal (93), Spain and the Tell of Algeria (88),
and an eastern Mediterranean population which extends through Middle
East to the North-west of India.
In Angola, as it is shown on Map 12, C. univittatus is also a widely
distributed species, the most generalized and one of the most common
Angolan mosquitoes.
BIOECIOIaO(ICAL NOTES. Larval univittatus was recorded from 150
different breeding places, 136 of which (90.7 per cent) were ground
Estud., Er'. e Doc.--134 119