Notes on the Toxorhynchites of Mexico: redescription of Tx. moctezuma (Dyar & Knab) and new record for Tx. grandiosus (Williston) in Veracruz (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Description of the pupa and redescriptions of the larva, female, male and male genitalia of Toxorhynchites (Lynchiella) moctezuma (Dyar & Knab) are presented based on specimens from Mexico, providing information that helps to distinguish this species from other species within the subgenus Lynchiella. Additionally, we report the first finding of Tx. (Lyn.) grandiosus (Williston) in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

First Record of Toxorhynchites moctezuma in Sinaloa, Mexico: Notes about its Morphology

“…According to our observations, the eye line, palps, and antepronotum of the adults analyzed were similar to those described by Mendez-Andrade et al (2019). The presence of violet scales on the abdominal tergites VI-VIII of the male and female coincide with what was described by Dyar and Knab (1906) for the male, but it is not so for the female, indicating that only the eighth segment is violet.…”

“…The basal mesal lobe of the gonocoxite was observed with 3 large well-defined setae, which have already been described by other authors (Dyar 1928, Mendez-Andrade et al 2019. The presence of 2 clearly visible medium-sized setae has been reported by Lane (1953); however, the structure of the mesal basal lobe and the number of large setae (1 large seta) differ from what was observed in this study.…”

“…The external characteristics of the male, in particular the hind leg, are reliable to distinguish Tx. moctezuma from other Toxorhynchites species; however, morphological discrimination in the female is complicated by variations in the hind leg (Mendez-Andrade et al 2019). In our analysis we observed that the scale coloration of the hind leg coincides with that described by Mendez-Andrade et al (2019).…”

“…The presence of violet scales on the abdominal tergites VI-VIII of the male and female coincide with what was described by Dyar and Knab (1906) for the male, but it is not so for the female, indicating that only the eighth segment is violet. Mendez-Andrade et al (2019) observed violet scales on the abdominal tergites VI and VII in males, and in the tergites VII and VIII in females.…”

The Mosquitoes of Morelos, Mexico: DNA Barcodes, Distribution, Ecology and the Resurrection of the Name Culiseta dugesi Dyar and Knab (Diptera: Culicidae)

“…Of the 10 Mexican states that have been studied in terms of taxonomy and distribution of mosquito species, the largest numbers have been found in Veracruz (n = 139 spp.) [14][15][16][17], Tabasco (n = 105 spp.) [14,[18][19][20][21], Quintana Roo (n = 85 spp.)…”