Henrique Ribeiro

Bioecology and Vectorial Capacity of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Macao, China, in Relation to Dengue Virus Transmission

Abstract Until 2001, the Chinese Territory of Macao had not registered any autochthonous dengue cases, despite the abundance of Aedes albopictus (Skuse), a known vector. This work describes a bioecological characterization of the local Ae. albopictus adult population, with the purpose of estimating the receptivity of Macao to dengue introduction. In the wet seasons of 1997 and 1998 and the dry season of 1998, Ae. albopictus was the most abundant human-biting mosquito. Daily biting rates of 314 mosquitoes per person were recorded in the wet season with a reduction to 94 in the dry season. Ae. albopictus was mainly exophagic and exophilic and had a human blood index of 44%. The parity rate of field-collected mosquitoes was 57%. Daily survival rate ranged from 91 to 97%. Estimates of vectorial capacity ranged from 144 to 880, depending on what parameter values were used. These estimates indicated a great receptivity for the introduction of dengue viruses, as the 2001 outbreak came to prove.

Systematics and Identification of Afrotropical Toxorhynchitinae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract I define two new species groups of Afrorhynchus from the Afrotropical Region and examine the taxonomic structure of the genus in the region. Keys are provided for the identification of adult males and females of all known Afrotropical Toxorhynchites.

Les Toxorhynchites Theobald de Madagascar (Diptera: Culicidae)

Résumé L’analyse taxonomique de quelques dizaines d’adultes de Toxorhynchites provenant de Madagascar et appartenant à la collection de l’IRD (Centre de Montpellier), a montré que tous les spécimens faisaient partie du sous-genre Afrorhynchus Ribeiro, 1991 qui domine sur le continent africain. Ces Toxorhynchites de Madagascar présentent aussi les caractères du nouveau groupe Pauliani que nous décrivons. Ils constituent un ensemble d’espèces jumelles dont la morphologie externe est très homogène. En utilisant quelques nouveaux caractères présents sur les genitalia mâles ainsi que des diagrammes de dispersion, nous avons mis en évidence cinq espèces nouvelles qui viennent s’ajouter à Tx. (Afr.) pauliani (Doucet, 1951). Il s’agit de: Tx. (Afr.) madagascarensis n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) brunhesi n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) grjebinei n. sp., Tx. (Afr.) fontenillei n. sp. et Tx. (Afr.) lemuriae n. sp. Des clés d’identification des mâles, des femelles, des larves et des nymphes sont proposées. En conclusion, nous avançons quelques considérations théoriques concernant la systématique et l’évolution des Toxorhynchites.

Coelomomyces numularius sp. nov. (Blastocladiales: Coelomomycetaceae), a New Fungal Parasite of Anopheles squamosus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Angola, Africa

Abstract Coelomomyces numularius sp. nov., a fungus parasitizing the larvae of Anopheles squamosus Theobald in southern Angola, Africa, is described and illustrated, with comments on its diagnosis and host specificity. Because of the general surface ornamentation of the resting sporangia, this new species is placed in group V of Bland and Couch. Resting sporangia can be distinguished from other species in group V by their dimensions, unique wall structure, placement of the dehiscence slit, and symmetrical shape.

Three New Species and One New Subspecies of Toxorhynchites (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Afrotropical Region

Abstract Three new species and one new subspecies in the subgenus Afrorhynchus of the genus Toxorhynchites are described from the Afrotropical region. With the addition of these four new taxa, 14 species and two subspecies of subgenus Afrorhynchus are presently known in the region. Keys are provided for the identification of adult males and females of the subgenus Afrorhynchus in Africa.