Leopoldo M. Rueda

The superfamily Trombiculoidea is a large and diverse group of acarines that comprises six families; of these, the families Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae are characterized by larvae commonly known as chiggers that are parasites of terrestrial vertebrates, including humans, and some species are of medical importance as vectors of chigger-borne rickettsiosis (scrub typhus), caused by the rickettsia Orientia tsutsugamushi. This paper presents an annotated checklist of 3,013 generally accepted chigger species, together with their distribution by zoogeographic region, and a non-comprehensive list of synonyms. A total of 58 new combinations are proposed by transferring species to different genera, treating some subgenera as genera, or updating current generic names. The checklist updates earlier catalogs of the world chigger fauna, but because the literature on chigger taxonomy is voluminous and scattered, similar, regional monographs were utilized in constructing the classificatory foundation. This list may not contain every species, synonym or taxonomic rearrangement that has been published, but it reflects the most recent arrangement of chigger taxa. Distribution records are primarily drawn from collection sites listed in the original species descriptions, together with subsequently published geographical records.

Six species of the subgenus Mucidus Theobald, genus Aedes Meigen, in the Afrotropical Region are treated in a pictorial key based on diagnostic morphological features of female and male adults. These are Ae. (Muc.) scatophagoides, Ae. (Muc.) sudanensis, Ae. (Muc.) mucidus, Ae. (Muc.) grahamii, Ae. (Muc.) nigerrimus and Ae. (Muc.) lucianus. Images of the diagnostic morphological structures of the adult head, legs and wings are included.

Yiau-Min Huang and Leopoldo M. Rueda (2017) Lectotype Designation for Aedes (Finlaya) pulchrithorax Edwards (Diptera: Culicidae), Including Male Description. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington: Vol. 119, No. 2, pp. 277-280. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.119.2.277

Nine species of the subgenus Diceromyia Theobald of genus Aedes Meigen in the Afrotropical Region are treated in a pictorial key based on diagnostic morphological features. Images of the diagnostic morphological structures of the adult head, thorax, abdomen, leg and wing are included. The medical importance of the Furcifer Group species in Africa was briefly reviewed.

Phlebotomine sand flies from three counties in Liberia were collected from January 2011 to July 2013. In total, 3,118 sand flies were collected: 18 species were identified, 13 of which represented new records for Liberia. An updated taxonomic checklist is provided with a brief note on sand fly biology, and the disease vector potential for species is discussed.

Six species of the subgenus Zavortinkius of Aedes Meigen in the Afrotropical Region are treated in a pictorial key based on diagnostic morphological features. Images of the diagnostic morphological structures of the adult thorax and leg are included.

This article includes the distribution records and updated checklist of mosquitoes (Culicidae, Diptera) from the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), based on the literature, specimens deposited at the US National Museum of Natural History mosquito collections, and our recent field collections from the Nakai District, Khammuane Province. Ten of 101 species in the updated checklist of mosquitoes are new records for the Lao PDR.

This article includes the records and distribution of Phlebotomine sand flies (Psychodidae, Diptera) in the New World based on the specimen collections housed in 2 repositories, the US National Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Entomology, Florida State Collection of Arthropods. Approximately 128 species have primary types housed in the 2 repositories, including holotypes (47 species, 3 subspecies), "types" (7 species), allotypes (52 species, 6 subspecies), lectotypes (4 species), paratypes (93 species, 10 subspecies), and neoallotype (1 species), mounted on slides, with a total of 1,107 type slides. For species diversity, collection data from 24 countries in the sand fly database were analyzed according to the number of species present, specimen records, decade of collections, and countries where collections were conducted.

Pseudalbuginosus, a new subgenus of Aedes Meigen, is characterized and diagnosed. Aedes grjebinei Hamon, Taufflieb, and Maillot is removed from the subgenus Aedimorphus Theobald and placed in the new monotypic subgenus Pseudalbuginosus on the basis of a critical study of all known specimens. The adult male and the male genitalia of Ae. (Pseudalbuginosus) grjebinei are described, with the illustration of the genitalia and images of the proboscis and maxillary palpi. Its affinity to other subgenera of the genus Aedes is discussed. Information on type data, distribution, bionomics, medical importance and a taxonomic discussion of this species are presented.

Nine species of the subgenus Albuginosus, one species of the subgenus Aedimorphus Grjebinei Group and two species of the subgenus Aedimorphus Apicoannulatus Group of the genus Aedes Meigen in the Afrotropical Region are treated in three pictorial keys based on diagnostic morphological features.