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

RIBEIRO, H. & RAMOS, H. Cunha -- <strong>Research</strong> on the mosquitoes of Angola -- X
Neotropical and Holarctic, but without any Ethiopian representatives.
The Ethiopian species formaly belonging to Neoculex Dyar are now
included in one of the subgenera E,melanomyia Theo. or Maillotia Theo.,
both resurrected from synonymy under Neoculex.
Ethiopian species of Eumelanomyia are often relatively localized
forms, though the now known 8 Angolan representatives are among the
most widely distributed species of the subgenus in Africa South of Sahara.
Yet, some of these may prove to be subspecifically distinct (see horridus,
inconspicuosus and rubinotus).
7.3.1- Culex (Eumelanomyia) horridus Edwards, 1922
C. horridus was recorded for the first time from Angola (Sambo) by
Colago (9), in 1952. The only other known Angolan records was that by
Gfindara (10) (11), in 1956, from Cuchi.
MATERIAL EXAMINED. SAURIMO (= H. de Carvalho), I larva,
11.IV. 1971.
TAXONOMIC NOTES. Appreciable differences concerning head chetotaxy
were found between our larva and the description given by Hopkins
(24). In the Angolan larva head chetotaxy is as follows: antennal
tuft with 10 branches; seta A with 7 branches; seta B single or bibid;
seta C single; d single; e 2 or 3-branched; f with 5 or 6 branches.
It seems, thus, that our larva is nearer to Zambian larvae, as described
by Robinson (in Hopkins, op. cit., footnote p. 265), horridus being
probably a polpytypic species. Unfortunately, no Angolan adults are available
for comparison with other adult local horridus populations (namely,
from Accra, the type locality) nor the larva of horridus var. rageaui
Hamon & Rickenbach (40) was yet described.
DISTRIBUTION AND BIOECOLOGICAL NOTES. C. horridus seems to be
a fairly generalized though relatively uncommon Ethiopian species. In
Angola, the only known locality records of horridus belong to the Rbodesian
Highland Zone (cf. Maps 3 and 5).
Our horridus larva bred in a discarded tin of sardines filled with
turbid rain-water, in association with larval Ae. aegypti, C. nebulosus
.56 Estud., Ens. e Doc.- 134