A Ventromedian Cervical Sclerite of Mosquito Larvae (Diptera: Culicidae)
Abstract
During studies on the subgenera of Aedes Meigen, a small pigmented plate was discovered on the ventral median region of the fourth stage larval cervical membrane. This plate, the ventromedian cervical sclerite (VmCS), is variable in pigmentation and development (Fig. 1), In some species and subgenera of Aedes e.g., Edwardsaedes Belkin, Neomelaniconion Newstead, Aedes Meigen and many Aedimorphus Theobald) the sclerite is fairly large and heavily pigmented. Species of the subgenus Verrallina Theobald have a small but heavily pigmented sclerite (see illustrations of Reinert 1974). This structure was also illustrated but not described for Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus) by Hochman and Reinert (1974). The ventromedian cervical sclerite has a fragmented appearance in a number of species of the subgenus Ochlerotatus Lynch Arribalzaga (e.g., canadensis (Theobald) and excrucians (Walker)) while other species of the subgenus have a well developed complete sclerite (e.g., atropalpus (Coquillett) and sollicitans (Walker)) and still others apparently lack the plate altogether (e.g., atlanticus Dyar and Knab and dupreei (Coquillett)). Seventy-four species in 19 subgenera of Aedes examined possessed a ventromedian cervical sclerite. These species and subgenera are listed below. Generic and subgeneric abbreviations follow Reinert (1975).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA511941
Entities
People
- John F. Reinert
Organizations
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research