<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT"%> Ochlerotatus (Nothoskusea) chathamicus
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Ochlerotatus (Nothoskusea) chathamicus (Dumbleton, 1962)

 

Endemic

New Zealand Status: Endemic

Found only on the Chatham Islands east of New Zealand, Ochlerotatus (Nothoskusea) chathamicus is a primitive species from the same stock as Opifex fuscus and Ochlerotatus australis (Belkin 1968).

Vector and Disease Information

The vector status of Ochlerotatus chathamicus is unknown (Holder 1999).

Distribution

Australasian Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC.
New Zealand - Chatham Islands (Belkin 1968).

Rest of the World
NOT PRESENT.

Taxonomic Position

Ochlerotatus chathamicus is the only species known from the endemic New Zealand subgenus Nothoskusea. A recent suggested change in taxonomy (Reinert & Harbach 2005) has moved the subgenus Nothoskusea from Ochlerotatus to Opifex. The new name for this mosquito becomes Opifex (Nothoskusea) chathamicus. Opifex (Opifex) fuscus is the only other species in this endemic genus.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis is the minimum set of characters and states that will separate this taxon from all others in this set of taxa.

Diagnostic characters State
Lower mesepimeral setae (one or more) Absent
Base of subcosta on under surface of wing with a patch of setae Yes

 

Characteristic Features

A large dark species; the largest mosquito in the New Zealand area, with a wing length of 6.0 mm (Belkin 1968).