MARCH1992 23 NOTES ON THE MOSQUITOES OF NEPAL: II. NEW SPECIES RECORDS FROM 1991 COLLECTIONS

RICHARD F. DARSIE, JR. ‘, SHREEDAR P. PRADHAN~ AND RIDDHI G. VAIDYA~

ABSTRACT. In 199 1, intensive collections were accomplishedin six districts of easternNepal, representingthe terai, inner terai, foothills and mountains. Specimensbelonging to the subgenusDicerumyia of Aedesand 18 speciesin five genera were identified as new country records,and some were found in each of the six districts.Collection sitesand literature sourcesfor identification of these speciesare detailed. Mimomyia intermedia,collected in Makwanpur District in 1990, is also reported here.

INTRODUCTION The first camp was in Dhanusa District in the midst of a secondary forest at 326 m A project was undertaken in 199 1 to study elevation. By crossing the nearby Churia the mosquito fauna of Nepal with the follow- Range to the north, the Kamala River Valley, ing objectives: 1) to increase knowledge of the inner terai of Sindhuli District at 430 m speciesoccurring in the country and learn elevation, was visited. The second camp was basicfacts about their biology; 2) to relate the at the edge of a virgin forest at 126 m in the Nepal mosquito fauna to the zoogeography terai of southeasternmost Jhapa District. of Culicidae in the Oriental Region; 3) to From this location we also travelled north to associate ecological changes in Nepal to Ilam District in the mountains, where collect- changes in the mosquito fauna; and 4) to ing occurred up to 1,208 m. correlate the findingswith prevalenceof mos- The other two campswere in mountainous quito-borne diseasesand known vectors. In terrain. Camp 3 was situated under a large this first report we are giving resultsof collec- Banyan tree (Ficus himalayensis)in Man- tions made during June to October, 199 1, in thale, Ramechhap District, in the valley of six districts of Eastern Nepal. Two were in the Tama Kosi River at an elevation of 560 the outer terai (lowland area), one in the inner m; however, mosquitoeswere sampled up to terai (river valley between the Churia Range an altitude of 1,378 m. Camp 4 was highest and the Mahabarat Range of the high Hima- at an altitude of 1,345 m in Rumjatar, Okal- laya Mountains). The other three were in the dunga District, and work extended up to Himalaya Mountains, the part called the 1,849 m. “Midlands” by Hagen (1960), i.e., with ele- We are reporting here 18 new country rec- vations between 500 and 2,000 m. Four ords: 11 in the genus AedesMeigen, two in camps, each lasting an average of 19 days, ArmigeresTheobald, one each in Culex Lin- were established. At each, field collections naeusand MimomyiaTheobald, and three in were processed.Some adults were mounted UranotaeniaLynch Arribalzaga. In addition, for study, others were saved in pill boxes; a speciesof the subgenusDiceromyia Theo- many immatures were individually reared, bald was recovered for the first time. The and exuviae or whole larvae and pupae were Mimomyia record was collected in Makwan- preservedin MacGregor’s solution. pur District during 1990; however, since this is a new record for Nepal, we include it here. ’ International Center for Public Health, Research,Uni- More Aedesspecies were collected because versity of South Carolina, P-0. Box 699, McClellanville, the sampling was concentrated in container- SC 29458. type habitats, such as tree holes and bamboo * U.S. Agency for International Development, Rabi Bha- wan, Kathmandu, Nepal. stumps. Geographic distribution of the new 3Entomology Section, Vector Control Division, Ministry country recordsis as follows: terai only-five, of Health, Kathmander, Nepal. inner terai only-one, mountains only- 24 MOSQUITO SYSTEMATICS VOL. 24, No. 1

eight, terai and mountains-two, inner terai Note: No adequate description of the male and mountains-two. genitalia has been published, Barraud With the increasein the fauna reported here (1934: 195, Fig. 37) illustrated only the gon- and thoselisted by Pradhan and Darsie ( 1990) ostylus and claspette. Therefore the recogni- and Darsie et al. (199 l), a total of 150 mos- tion of this speciesfrom two males depended quito taxa are now known from Nepal. Re- on Barraud’s non-genitalic description. The sults of mosquito surveysin the western and presenceof knee spots on all femora is diag- eastern Himalayan regions of India were nostic. Ramachandra Rao et al. (1973: 1435) given by Ramachandra Rao et al. (1973) and reported collecting this speciesat 1,700 m in Bhat (1975). They recorded in adjacent areas Himal Pradesh. of India some of the specieswe are including here as new country records for Nepal. Aedes(Finlaya) gilli Barraud Ahmed (1987) and Harrison et al. (1991) published lists of mosquito speciesoccurring Ramechhap District, Helipani, 1,200 m, in Bangladeshand Thailand, respectively. If VIII-31-91, lM, Ramechhap, 1,378 m, IX- the speciesreported as new to Nepal were not 5-9 1, 1M, reared from pupa; Okaldunga Dis- listed for those countries in the geographic trict, Chilauna, 1,801 m, 1X-23-9 1, 4M, all distribution by Knight and Stone (1977), it is reared from pupae, ex very turbid, chocolate- noted below. In the following collection data, colored water from tree holes. F = adult female and M = adult male, and Note: Barraud ( 1934:198) stated: “Hypo- the elevation of each locality is given in meters pygium does not show any marked modifi- (m). Voucher specimenswill be deposited in cation.” Therefore diagnosis was based on the National Museum of Natural History, Barraud’s non-genitalic characters. He must Smithsonian Institution. have missedthe long, stout, basal, mediodor- sal spine on the gonocoxite which is quite unique. Bhat (1975: 1594) recorded a female CONFIRMED NEW COUNTRY from Dehra Dun District of Uttar Pradeshat RECORDS 480 m elevation.

Aedes(Diceromyia) iyengari Edwards Aedes(Finlaya) novoniveusBarraud

Ramechhap District, Kudar, 580 m, 1X-9- Ilam District, Ilam, 1,208 m, VII-25-9 1, 9 1, lM, resting outdoors in shadenear bam- lM, reared from larva, ex bamboo; Okal- boo; Okaldunga District, Sangure Rumjatar, dunga District, Rumjatar, 1,345 m, IX- 14- 1,300 m, IX-2 l-9 1, IF, lM, resting in rock 9 1, IM, reared from pupa, ex bamboo; IX- crevicesin deep shade. 20-9 1, 2M, reared from pupae, ex bamboo; Note: This is the first species of the Okaldunga, 1,849 m, 1X-24-9 1, lM, reared subgenusDiceromyia to be collectedin Nepal. from pupa, ex rock hole; 1X-25-9 1, 5M, Diagnosiswas made from Reinert’s ( 1970:10, reared from pupae, ex bamboo. Figs. 2,9) descriptionsof the very distinctive Note: Only males of this specieswere col- females and male genitalia. It was reported lected, mostly associatedwith bamboo stumps from Bangladeshby Ahmed (1987: 190). and all taken at altitudes above 1,200 m. The genitalia were mounted and descriptionsand Aedes(Finlaya) christophersiEdwards illustrations by Barraud (1934:2 11, Fig. 44), Colless (1958:479; 1959:174) and unpub- OkaldwzgaDistrict, Chilauna, 180 1 m, IX- lishednotes and drawingsof K.L. Knight have 23-9 1, IM, reared from pupa, ex chocolate- convinced us that identification is correct. colored water from tree hole; Okaldunga, The upper and lower dorsomesalareas of the 1,849 m, 1X-25-9 1, 1M, resting outdoors on gonocoxite are covered with short setae and vegetation. the basal ridge is weakly developed. MARCH 1992 25

Aedes(Finlaya) poicilius (Theobald) on the postpronotum, present in Ae. promi- nensand absentin Ae. khazani. DhanusaDistrict, Bardiaghot, 326 m, VII- Secondary characters mentioned for Ae. 14-9 1, IF, collected feeding on the senior prominensby Barraud ( 1934:169) are pale author at 1930 h. scaleson lateral lobes of the scutellum and Note: The description of Knight and Laf- pale scaling over the hindtibiotarsal joint. foon (1946:22 1) was employed in its diagno- These were found to be very variable. For sis. It is the only Aedesspecies in the Indian example, no pale scaleson the scutellum or subcontinent with spotted wings. It has been the apex of the hindtibia occurred in 20 fe- recorded from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri dis- males, pale scaleson the scutellum only in tricts of West Bengal State by Ramachandra four femalesand pale scaleson both scutellum Rao et al. (1973: 1438) at 150-450 m eleva- and hindtibia in three females. Among the tion. males all but one had pale scaleson the scu- tellar lobes,while eight had dark-scaledhind- Aedes(Finlaya) prominensBarraud tibiae and five had at least some pale scalesat the tibia1apex. Harrison et al. (199 1:203) have Sindhuli District, Tallo Ranibas, 430 m, recorded it from Thailand. VII-8-9 1, 1F, reared from larva, ex bamboo; Junga, 430 m, VII-9-9 1, 1M, resting on veg- etation; VII- 1O-9 1, 1F, 1M, reared from lar- Aedes(Finlaya) simlensisEdwards vae, ex tree hole; Ilam District, Ilam, 1,208 m, VII-25-9 1, 1M, reared from pupa, ex bam- RamechhapDistrict, Ramechhap, 1,378 m, boo; Jhapa District, Kanchanbari, 126 m, 1X-4-9 1, 1F, restingoutdoors on vegetation. VII-29-9 1, 4F, lM, reared from pupae, ex Note: Identification was based on the de- tree hole; VIII-2-9 1, 1F, attracted to humans; scription in Barraud (1934: 198). It is charac- VIII-7-9 1, 2F, reared from larvae, ex stump terized by absenceof femoral knee spotsand hole; RamechhapDistrict, Ramechhap, 1,378 with midfemur dark anteriorly except at base. m, VIII-3 l-9 1, IF, attracted to humans; This species has been noted by Bhat OkaldungaDistrict, Chilauna, 1,801 m, IX- (1975: 1595) from the western Himalayas at 18-9 1,6F, 3M, reared from larvae and pupae, 1,800 m. ex tree hole; IX-l 9-9 1, 2F, reared from pu- pae; ex tree hole; 1X-26-91, 3F, reared from larvae, ex turbid, brown-colored water from Aedes(Finlaya) unicinctusEdwards tree hole; Rumjatar, 1,345 m, 1X-20-9 1, 7F, 5M, reared from larvae and pupae, ex tree OkaldungaDistrict, Okaldunga, 1,849 m, hole; Okaldunga, 1,849 m, 1X-23-9 1, 2F, 1X-24-9 1, 1F, reared from pupa, ex bamboo; resting on vegetation; 1X-24-9 1, 2F, lM, Okaldunga Army Camp, 1,849 m, 1X-24-9 1, reared from pupae, ex bamboo; Rumjatar 1F, reared from larva, 1M, reared from pupa, Matillo, 1,300 m, 1X-26-91, 3F, resting on ex tree hole; 1X-25-9 1, 1F, reared from pupa, vegetation. ex bamboo. Note: We found Ae. prominensto be the Note: Diagnosis was made using descrip- most common of the speciesnew to Nepal tions in Barraud (1934: 170, Fig. 37). As its being reported here. The 47 specimens,some name implies, the hindtarsi bear a singlepale- collected at all four camps, demonstratesthat scaledband. The illustration of the male gen- this speciesdoes not have an altitudinal pre- italia shows only the phallosome. A more dilection. It is one of the two specieswith complete description is needed. This species patches of long erect scaleson the venter of was found at 1,800 m and 2,480 m in the the abdomen, the other is Ae. khazani Ed- western Himalayas, according to Bhat wards. The two are separated by Barraud’s (1975: 1596). It was reported for the first time (1934: 156) key character,i.e., pale-scalepatch in Thailand by Harrison et al. (199 1:200). 26 MOSQUITO SYSTEMATICS VOL. 24, No. 1

Aedes(Stegomyia) annandalei Theobald is characteristic. Ramachandra Rao et al. (1973: 1439) listed this speciesfrom Sikkim at JhapaDistrict, Kanchanbari, 126 m, VII- an elevation of 1,220 m. It was reported from 30-9 1, IF, reared from larva, ex bamboo Bangladeshby Ahmed ( 1987:192). stump. Note:A collection of 14 specimenswere all Armigeres(Leicesteria) inchoatusBarraud tentatively identified asthis speciesuntil study of the male genitalia gave a clue that they OkaldungaDistrict, Rumjatar, 1,345 m, were not Ae. annandalei.Using the descrip- 1X-19-91, 1M; 1X-29-91, lM, resting out- tions of Mattingly (1965) and Huang (1977), doors among bamboo plants. only one proved to be Ae. annandaleiwhile Note: Descriptions by Barraud ( 1934:328) the other 13 were determined to be Ae. craggi. and Thurman (1959: 100) assistedin the rec- ognition of this species.The male genitalia Aedes(Stegomyia) craggi (Barraud) are distinctive. Ahmed ( 1987:192) recorded it from Bangladesh. SindhuliDistrict, Jhunga, 430 m, VII-7- 9 1, lF, reared from pupa, ex bamboo; Ilam Culex (Eumelanomyia) castrensisEdwards District,Ilam, 1,208 m, VII-25-9 1, 1F, reared from pupa, ex bamboo; JhapaDistrict, Sun- RamechhapDistrict, Kudar, 560 m, IX- wai, 480 m, VIII-5-9 1, 1F, reared from pupa, 1O-9 1, 1F, resting outdoors on vegetation. ex bamboo; Karkarvitta,126 m, VIII- 10-9 1, Note: The work of Sirivanakarn (1972:33) 8F, attracted to humans; Okaldunga District, was consultedin the diagnosisof this species. Kuwapani, 1,300 m, IX-1 5-9 1, IF, reared The abdominal terga and sterna are dark- from larva, ex bamboo; Rumjatar, 1,345 m, scaledand the lower mesepimeralseta is pres- IX- 19-9 1, 1M, reared from pupa, ex bamboo. ent. Note: Identification was made from de- scriptions by Huang (1977:22, Figs. 9C,D; Mimomyia (Mimomyia) in termedia Barraud lOC,D). Also seecomments under Ae. annan- dalei. MakwanpurDistrict, Hetaura, 466 m, I-7- 90, restingoutdoors on vegetationat the bank Aedes( Verrallina) uniformis (Theobald) of the Karra River. Note: The presence of complete yellow- JhapaDistrict, Kanchanbari, 126 m, VIII- scaled transversebands on abdominal terga 2-91, 3F, 2M, resting on vegetation in forest. III-VII and an incomplete band on II places Note:This small, dark mosquito represents our specimen in the taxon Mi. intermedia the first speciesof Section B, subgenusVer- instead of Mi. chamberlaini(Ludlow). The rallina (Reinert 1974:17), to be found in Ne- taxon, Mi. intermedia,was originally consid- pal. The very distinctive male genitalia are ered a variety of Mi. chamberlainiby Barraud adequately described by Barraud ( 1934:28 1, ( 1929:1055) but was raisedto specificrank by Fig. 68). The female genitalia are illustrated Mattingly (1957:34). Darsie et al. (1990: 125) by Reinert (1974:Fig. 2 1; 1984:81). reported Mi. chamberlainibased on an iden- tification in which no voucher specimen was retained. Therefore, it is not known which of Armigeres(Leicesteria) digitatus (Edwards) thesetwo specieswas seen. JhapaDistrict, Sunwai, 430 m, VIII-5-9 1, () bicolor lF, attracted to humans in bamboo thicket. Leicester Note: The description by Thurman (1959:98) was used in the diagnosis of this DhanusaDistrict, Bardiaghot, 326 m, VII- species.The scutum projecting over the head l-9 1, lF, reared from pupa, ex ground pool; MARCH 1992 27

RamechhapDistrict, Bhorlaphedi, 580 m, IX- porterswho carried our equipment during the 6-9 1, 1F, restingoutdoors on vegetation. 58 miles of trekking; to R.E. Harbach, E.L. Note: These specimensagree with the de- Peyton and Y.M. Huang for their help in scription by Peyton (1977:4 1, Fig. 2). The identifying Nepal specimens;to J.L. Clarke, unique dark and light brown integumental Jr., of Clarke Mosquito Control Products, pattern on the pleura is diagnostic. Roselle, IL, for the gift of collecting equip- ment; and last but not least DC. Williams, T.B. Vincent and the staff of the International Uranotaenia (Pseudojkalbia) nivipleura Leicester Center for Public Health Research,University of South Carolina, for their support and en- JhapaDistrict, Soragandhi, 100 m, VII-3 l- couragement. 9 1, 1F, resting outdoors in forest; Kanchan- bari, 126 m, VII-2-9 1, lM, resting outdoors REFERENCES CITED in forest; RamechhapDistrict, Ramechhap, 1,278 m, VIII-3 l-9 1, lF, resting in Ahmed, T.V. 1987. Checklist of the mosqui- shelter; OkaldungaDistrict, Rumjatar, 1,345 toes of Bangladesh.Mosq. Syst. 19:187- m, 1X-29-91, 2F, resting outdoors on vege- 200. tation. Baisas,F.E. 1935. Notes on Philippine mos- Note: This speciesis easily recognized by quitoes, II. Uranotaeniagroup. Philipp. J. the yellow marginal line on the scutum Sci. 57:63-80. clothed with white narrow scales.Its colora- Barraud, P.J. 1929. A revision of the culicine tion of rust-brown scutum and pale yellow mosquitoesof India, Part XXV. The gen- pleura is quite striking(Peyton 1977:92). Bhat era Mucidus, Mimomyia, Ficalbia, Ra- ( 1975:1592) recorded this speciesin the west- ern Himalayas at elevations of 630 m and chionotomyiaand Hodesgia. Indian J. 1,800 m, confirming our observationsthat it Med. Res. 16:1052-1063. occurs at a wide altitudinal range. Barraud, P.J. 1934. Family Culicidae. Tribes Megarhinini and Culicini. The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Uranotaenia (Uranotaenia) testacea Burma. Diptera. Vol. V. Taylor and Fran- Theobald cis, London. Bhat, H.R. 1975. A survey of haematopha- DhanusaDistrict, Bardiaghot, 326 m, VII- gous in western Himalayas, l-9 1,2F, reared from pupae, ex ground pool. Sikkim and hill districts of West Bengal: Note: This is one of the few Oriental Ur- records of mosquitoes collected from Hi- anotaeniawith hindtarsomeres4,5 and part malayan region of Uttar Pradeshwith eco- of 3 pale-scaled.A pleural line of bluish-white logical notes. Indian J. Med. Res. 63: 1583- broad scales is also characteristic (Barraud 1608. 1934:59, 74; Baisas1935:67). Colless, D.H. 1958. Notes on the culicine mosquitoesof Singapore IV.-The Aedes ACKNOWLEDGMENTS niveussubgroup (Diptera, Culicidae): in- troduction and descriptionof five new spe- The project was supportedby the National ciesand of one new subspecies.Ann. Trop. Geographic Society Grant No, 453 l-9 1. Med. Parasitol. 52:468-483. Many thanks go to S.R. Shrestha, M. Das, Colless, D.H. 1959. Notes on the culicine S.N. Jha and the staff of the Entomology mosquitoes of Singapore V.-The Aedes Section, Malaria Control Division, Nepal niveussubgroup (Diptera, Culicidae): pre- Ministry of Health, for their hard work in the viously describedspecies and keys to adults field; to Ashok Bhaukaja for kind hospitality and larvae. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. and assistance;also to thosegroups of stalwart 53:166-179. 28 MOSQUITO SYSTEMATICS VOL. 24, No. 1

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