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Sharifdini, Meysam, Norouzi, Behzad, Azari-Hamidian, Shahyad, Karamzadeh, Nader (2021): The first record of ectoparasites of raccoons (Procyon lotor) (Carnivora, Procyonidae) in Iran. Persian Journal of Acarology 10 (1): 41-54, DOI: 10.22073/pja.v10i1.63915

Azari-Hamidian, Shahyad, Abai, Mohammad-Reza, Norouzi, Behzad (2020): Mansonia uniformis (Diptera: Culicidae), a genus and species new to southwestern Asia, with a review of its medical and veterinary importance. Zootaxa 4772 (2): 385-395, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4772.2.10

During study of the museum specimens, some female mosquitoes collected in Ghasreghand (Qasr-e Qand) County of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, southeastern Iran (Figure 1), were quickly identified as members of a genus and species that was not previously known to occur in Iran. The genus was identified as Mansonia Blanchard and the species as Ma. uniformis (Theobald) using the keys of Wharton (1962), Mattingly (1971), Lee et al. (1988), Service (1993), Huang (2002) and Becker et al. (2010). The mosquitoes were collected by Mohammad-Reza Abai in Boghan Village (N 26.2458, E 60.7492) on 12 Jun 1999 (11 females, four on human bait and seven on animal bait), 25 Jun 1999 (four females on animal bait), Choutabad Village (N 26.2324, E 60.7248) on 10 Jul 1999 (one female on animal bait) and Helonchekan Village (N 26.2556, E 60.7556) on 8 Jun 1999 (three females on human bait), 21 Jun 1999 (one female on animal bait), 22 Jun 1999 (one female on animal bait) and 9 Jul 1999 (one female on animal bait). The villages have an elevation of about 500 m above sea level (Figure 2). The specimens were collected with a manual aspirator during night landing catches on cattle and human bait. In total, the density of mosquitoes was 22.1���34.1 per cow per night and 33.9���35.2 per human per night. Other mosquitoes collected with Ma. uniformis were Culex bitaeniorhynchus Giles, Cx. quinquefasciatus Say and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus Giles. The specimens are deposited in the Museum of Medical and Veterinary Entomology, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. In addition to Ma. uniformis being a new genus and species for Iran, it is also a new addition to the mosquito fauna of southwestern Asia [for the definition of southwestern Asia see Harbach (1988)]. This record makes a connection between the distributional records of Ma. uniformis in the Afrotropical Region and the Oriental, Australasian and eastern Palaearctic Regions through southern Iran. Also, this finding attests the interesting zoogeography of southern Iran, which includes species from the Oriental Region, such as An. peditaeniatus, An. subpictus Grassi s.l. and Cx. pseudovishnui Colless, and species from the Afrotropical Region, such as Ae. caballus (Theobald) [Ochlerotatus caballus (Theobald)] and Cx. antennatus (Becker) (Azari-Hamidian et al. 2019)., Published as part of Azari-Hamidian, Shahyad, Abai, Mohammad-Reza & Norouzi, Behzad, 2020, Mansonia uniformis (Diptera: Culicidae), a genus and species new to southwestern Asia, with a review of its medical and veterinary importance, pp. 385-395 in Zootaxa 4772 (2) on page 385, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4772.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/3974774, {"references":["Wharton, R. H. (1962) The biology of Mansonia mosquitoes in relation to the transmission of filariasis in Malaya. Bulletin from the Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, 11, 1 - 114 pp., 6 pls.","Lee, D. J., Hicks, M. M., Debenham, M. L., Griffiths, M., Bryan, J. H. & Marks, E. N. (1988) The Culicidae of the Australasian Region. Volume 9. Nomenclature, synonymy, literature, distribution, biology and relation to disease. Genus Culex (Subgenera Lutzia, Neoculex, Subgenus undecided). Genera Culiseta, Ficalbia, Heizmannia, Hodgesia, Malaya, Mansonia. Monograph Series, Entomology Monograph No. 2. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, ix + 162 pp.","Service, M. W. (1993) Mosquitoes (Culicidae). In: Lane, R. P. & Crosskey, R. W. (Eds.) Medical Insects and Arachnids. Chapman and Hall, London, pp. 120 - 240.","Huang, Y. - M. (2002) A pictorial key to the mosquito genera of the world, including subgenera of Aedes and Ochlerotatus (Diptera: Culicidae). Insecta Koreana, 19, 1 - 130.","Becker, N., Petric, D., Zgomba, M., Boase, C., Madon, M., Dahl, C. & Kaiser, A. (2010) Mosquitoes and their control. Second Edition. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, xxx + 577 pp.","Harbach, R. E. (1988) The mosquitoes of the subgenus Culex in southwestern Asia and Egypt (Diptera: Culicidae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, 24 (1), vi + 1 - 236.","Azari-Hamidian, S., Norouzi, B. & Harbach, R. E. (2019) A detailed review of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Iran and their medical and veterinary importance. Acta Tropica, 194, 106 - 122. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. actatropica. 2019.03.019"]}

Mosquitoes are important vectors of human and animal diseases. This study updates current knowledge on fauna, dominance, and distribution of mosquitoes in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran, to inform disease control effort. Larval collections, using standard dippers or droppers, and adult collections, using total catches, shelter pits, CDC light traps, and human landing catches, were performed monthly in 30 villages across 16 counties, from May to December 2014. Ovitraps, baited with hay infusion as oviposition attractants or stimulants for Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes, were installed in each village and inspected weekly for eggs. Lactophenol and Berlese media were used for preserving and mounting specimens. Overall, 36,024 mosquito specimens (19,840 larvae and 16,184 adults) belonging to 4 genera and 20 species were morphologically identified. The dominance and distribution indices showed that Culex pipiens s.s. was the eudominant species with a constant distribution of larvae (D = 69.07%, C = 100%) and adults (D = 31.86%, C = 100%), followed by Cx tritaeniorhynchus (D = 38.14%, C = 100%) and Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (D = 11.05%, C = 100%) as adults. Aedes vexans was the dominant (7.85%) species, but it had a sporadic (20%) distribution. Culex torrentium and Culiseta morsitans were added as the new species to the checklist of mosquitoes in Mazandaran Province. Due to the potential role, Cx. pipiens s.s. as a vector of various pathogens, further ecological studies are recommended. [Abstract copyright: © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.]

Key to subgenera, species, and subspecies of genus Culiseta: fourth-instar larvae (key characters are illustrated in Figs 5 and 6) 1. Siphon index (SI) usually less than 2.5 (1.4–2.4); antenna very short, with antennal index (ratio of length of antenna, without apical setae and appendages, to length of head) 0.3–0.4; saddle (dorsal plate) incomplete, covers abdominal segment X (anal segment) only dorsolaterally; antenna smooth; seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) with 1–4 simple branches, not longer than 2.0 width of antenna; pecten spines large, distal spine near apex of siphon (pecten about 0.75 length of siphon); dorsal pair of anal papillae (gills) slightly longer than ventral pair; at least some scales of comb spiniform; setae 5,6-C (inner and median frontal setae) single [siphonal trachea broad, ribbon-like; PTF 3: 1: 3: 6: 3: 1: 6] (subgenus Allotheobaldia)............................................................................. Cs. longiareolata - SI usually more than 2.5; antennal index usually more than 0.4; saddle complete, encircling segment X; antenna spiculate; seta 1 -A with more than 4 branches, longer than 2.0 width of antenna; pecten spines fine, distal spine never near apex of siphon; anal papillae of more or less equal length; all comb scales evenly fringed at sides and apex, not spine-like; setae 5,6-C multiple branched................................................................................................ 2 2 (1). Siphon index (SI) more than 4.0 (4.3 –7.0); antenna very long with index 1.0 or more; seta 1 -A with more than 15 (16–30) long branches, extending well beyond apex of antenna; pecten without distal filamentous spines; pecten not extending beyond basal 0.3 of siphon; antenna with distinct thick proximal and narrow distal sections; seta 5 - C (inner frontal seta) with 1–4 branches; siphonal trachea narrow, rounded; seta 1 -X (saddle seta) more than 0.5 length of saddle, single; 5–9 precratal setae present [PTF 1: 1: 2: 1-2: 1: 1: 2–3] (subgenus Culicella)..................................................................................................................................................................... Cs. morsitans (Note 39) - SI at most 4.0; antenna short with index less than 0.7 (usually less than 0.5); seta 1 -A with no more than 15 short branches, not reaching or extending only slightly beyond apex of antenna; pecten with distal filamentous spines; pecten extending beyond basal 0.3 of siphon; antenna without 2 distinct sections; seta 5 -C usually with more than 4 branches; siphonal trachea broad, ribbon-like; seta 1 -X about 0.5 or less length of saddle, with 2 or 3 branches; 2–5 precratal setae present (subgenus Culiseta) (Note 38)....................................................................................... 3 3 (2). Seta 4 -X (ventral brush) usually with 4 (3–5) precratal setae, at least 2 perforating saddle; comb scales narrow, elongate with parallel margins; pecten extends to 0.75 length of siphon; siphon index (SI) at most 3.0 (2.7; 2.4 –3.0), siphon slightly tapered apically; anal papillae (gills) bluntly rounded at apex [PTF 1: 1: 2–3: 3–4: 1: 1: 4–6] (Cs. alaskaensis) (Note 40)...................................................................................................................................... 4 - Seta 4 -X usually with 2 (2 or 3) precratal setae, 1, rarely 2, perforating saddle; comb scales short, distinctly broader at base, narrowed medially; pecten extends to 0.67 length of siphon; SI usually more than 3.0 (2.4 –4.0), siphon markedly tapered apically; anal papillae tapered [PTF 1: 1: 3–6: 3–6: 1: 1: 3–5] (Note 41)............................ 5 4 (3). Seta 4 -C (postclypeal seta) with 3, very rarely 4, branches; head and siphon very dark, often almost black................................................................................................................................................. Cs. alaskaensis alaskaensis * - Seta 4 -C with 3–7 (usually 5 or 6) branches; head and siphon pale-brown, sometimes yellowish brown.............................................................................................................................................................. Cs. alaskaensis indica 5 (3). Seta 4 -C (postclypeal seta) inserted in line with (directly anterior) to seta 5 -C (inner frontal seta) (index 0.8–1.2, average 1); head and siphon dark brown [SI 3.6 –4.0].......................................................................... Cs. annulata - Seta 4 -C inserted anteromesad of seta 5 -C, i.e. closer to midline than in Cx. annulata (index 1.2–1.6, average 1.5); head and siphon pale-brown or dark ochreous [SI 3.3–3.6].............................................................. Cs. subochrea

Key to subgenera, species, and subspecies of genera Aedes and Ochlerotatus: fourth-instar larvae (larva of Oc. chelli is unknown) (key characters are illustrated in Figs 5 and 6) 1. Siphon without acus (auricle) (with indistinct acus in Ae. vittatus) [antenna smooth or very sparsely spiculate; seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) with at most 4 branches; seta 12 -I absent]................................................................................ 2 - Siphon with well-developed acus............................................................................................................................. 4 2 (1). Pecten with 1, sometimes 2, apical spines distinctly separated from other spines beyond seta 1 -S (siphonal tuft); seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) with 2 or 3 branches, inserted slightly before middle of shaft; seta 4 -X (ventral brush) with 2 or more precratal setae; seta 4 -C (postclypeal seta) and 6 -C (median frontal seta) on level with base of antenna; seta 4 -C minute, with very few (2–4) fine branches; seta 5 -II–V single, rarely double; antenna very sparsely spiculate; anal papillae (gills) wider at base and pointed apically, more than 2.0 length of saddle [SI 2.0 (1.9–3.1); seta 7 -C usually with 2 or more branches, rarely single; comb scales with apical spine, without subapical spines; PTF 1: 1: 2: 1: 1: 1: 2–3] (Aedes subgenus Fredwardsius)................................................................................... Ae. vittatus - Pecten with spines equally spaced, sometimes 1 or 2 apical spines slightly more widely separated but not distinctly and not beyond seta 1 -S; seta 1 -A single, inserted slightly beyond middle of shaft; seta 4 -X without precratal setae; setae 4,6-C inserted far forward on head; seta 4 -C well developed, usually with 5 (4–7) branches; seta 5 -II–V branched; antenna smooth; anal papillae sausage-shaped with round ends, 2.5 –3.0 length of saddle (Aedes subgenus Stegomyia)................................................................................................................................................. 3 3 (2). Comb scales with stout subapical spines; basal tubercle(s) of setae 9–12 -M,T (meso- and metapleural groups of setae) strongly sclerotized, curved and pointed, spine-like; seta 4 -X (ventral brush) with 5 pairs of setae, each usually two-branched (2 or 3); seta 7 -C (outer frontal seta) single, rarely double [SI 1.5–2.5; PTF 2–3: 1: 2: 1–2: 2: 1: 2–3]............................................................................................................. Ae. aegypti * (Note 24) - Comb scales without subapical spines; basal tubercle(s) of setae 9–12 -M,T with only small denticles; seta 4 -X with 4 pairs of setae, each single; seta 7 -C usually with 2 or more branches, rarely single [SI 2.0; PTF 3–4: 1: 2: 2–3: 1–2: 1: 2–3].................................................................................................................... Ae. albopictus * 4 (1). Pecten with 1, sometimes 2, apical spines distinctly separated from other spines, more curved and stouter than others and usually without secondary denticles; seta 1 -S (siphonal tufts) small, length about 0.5 width of siphon at point of attachment; seta 12 -I absent [antenna spiculate; seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) with 5-12 branches; 9–12 comb scales arranged in single or double row; SI 3.0– 3.5 (2.1–4.3); lateral palatal brush (LPB) (labral brush) with distally dentate filaments; PTF 1: 1: 1–3: 1–2: 1: 1: 2–3] (Aedes subgenus Aedimorphus).............. Ae. vexans (Note 25) - Pecten with spines regularly or irregularly spaced but without apical curved and stout distinctly separated spines; seta 1 -S large, length more than 0.5 width of siphon at point of attachment, except Oc. caballus; seta 12 -I present (genus Ochlerotatus) (Note 4).................................................................................................................................. 5 5 (4). Thorax and abdomen with stellate setae; antenna smooth, without spicules; pecten spines long, pointed, equally spaced [seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) single; comb scales in a single row; tree-hole larva] (Ochlerotatus subgenus Finlaya)......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 - Thorax and abdomen without stellate setae; antenna spiculate even if only sparsely; pecten spines short, not spine-like, with a broad base (Ochlerotatus subgenus Ochlerotatus)...................................................................... 7 6 (5). Pecten about 0.5 length of siphon, usually with 18–22 (15–27) spines; setae 1,2,5-I (stellate setae of abdominal segment I) obviously longer than segment, some with 5-10 branches; seta 6 -III–VI (lateral seta on abdominal segments III–VI) long and stout; dorsal pair of anal papillae (gills) about 2.0 length of ventral pair and distinctly longer than saddle [SI 3.0– 3.5; PTF 3–5: 1: 5–8: 6-8: 2: 1: 2].......................................................................... Oc. echinus - Pecten distinctly less than 0.5 length of siphon, usually with 15 (14–20) spines; setae 1,2,5-I about as long as segment, at most 6 -branched; setae 6 -III–VI shorter and more slender; dorsal pair of anal papillae about 1.5 length ventral pair and slightly longer than saddle [SI 2.0–3.0; PTF 3–4: 1: 3-6: 4–7: 2: 1: 2]....... Oc. geniculatus (Note 26) 7 (5). Antenna sparsely spiculate; anal papillae (gills) very long at least 2.0 length of saddle, sausage-shaped with round ends; seta 1 -X (saddle seta) at least 2.0 length of saddle; head about as broad as long; median filaments of lateral palatal brush (LPB) (labral brush) not apically serrate; seta 1 -S (siphonal tuft) at least 2.0 width of siphon at point of attachment, inserted well below middle of siphon [seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) with 2–4 branches; tree-hole larva] (Pulcritarsis Complex) (Note 29).............................................................................................................................. 8 - Antenna well spiculate; anal papillae less than 2.0 length of saddle; seta 1 -X less than 2.0 length of saddle; head broader than long; median filaments of LPB apically serrate; seta 1 -S less than 2.0 width of siphon at point of attachment, inserted on or beyond middle of siphon (may be slightly below middle in Oc. dorsalis and Oc. leucomelas).................................................................................................................................................................. 10 8 (7). Seta 1 -S (siphonal tuft) at about 0.5 length of siphon, less than 2.0 width of siphon at point of attachment; comb with 6–11 scales in a single row; siphon index (SI) usually under 5.0 (3.0– 5.2); anal papillae (gills) equally long; seta 1 -A (antennal seta) inserted on or slightly beyond middle of shaft [PTF 3: 1–2: 2–4: 3–4: 3–4: 1: 5] Oc. pulcritarsis......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 - Seta 1 -S at about 0.33 length of siphon, more than 2.0 width of siphon at point of attachment; comb scales usually more numerous (16–20), often arranged in an irregular triangular patch; SI usually more than 5.0 (3.5–7.8); dorsal pair of anal papillae longer than ventral pair; seta 1 -A inserted well beyond middle of shaft [PTF 2–3: 1: 2: 2–3: 2- 3: 1: 3–4].............................................................................................................................................. Oc. berlandi * 9 (8). Siphon index (SI) 4.0–5.0; siphon slightly but uniformly tapered toward apex; anal papillae (gills) usually as long as siphon..................................................................................................................... Oc. pulcritarsis pulcritarsis - SI 3.0– 3.5; siphon strongly tapered toward apex; anal papillae usually twice as long as siphon......................................................................................................................................................................... Oc. pulcritarsis asiaticus 10 (7). Seta 4 -X (ventral brush) with 4–7 precratal setae (arising anterior to grid); seta 1 -X (saddle seta) about 1.3 length of saddle; siphon index (SI) greater than 3.0 (3.2 –4.0) [PTF 1: 1: 2–3: 1: 2: 1: 3–8]............................. Oc. flavescens - Seta 4 -X with at most 3 precratal setae; seta 1 -X shorter than 1.3 length of saddle, usually at most as long as saddle; SI usually not more than 3.0........................................................................................................................... 11 11 (10).Seta 1 -A (antennal tuft) single or double; comb with about 10 large scales with secondary denticles confined to base; anal papillae (gills) about 1.5 length of saddle; length of seta 1 -S (siphonal tuft) at most 0.5 width of siphon at point of attachment [SI 2.6–2.9; seta 1 -X (saddle seta) about half as long as saddle; PTF 1: 1: 1-4: 1: 1: 1-2: 3..................................................................................................................................................... Oc. caballus (Note 28) - Seta 1 -A with more than 3 branches; comb with more than 10 (usually more than 20) scales or spines; anal papillae no longer than saddle, usually shorter; seta 1 -S more than 0.5 width of siphon at point of attachment........... 12 12 (11).Comb with more than 25 (usually more than 35) scales, scales without main spine; anal papillae (gills) spherical and very short; setae 2–6 -P (prothoracic setae 2–6) usually single; seta 5 -C (inner frontal seta) with 2–5 branches; seta 6 -C (median frontal seta) usually with 2 or 3 branches, rarely single [SI 3.0 (1.8–3.5); seta 1 -X (saddle seta) nearly as long as saddle; PTF 2: 1: 1: 1: 1: 1: 3]......................................................................................... Oc. detritus - Comb with fewer than 25 scales, at least some scales with long main spine; anal papillae not spherical; at least one of setae 2–6 -P branched; seta 5 -C usually single, rarely with 2 branches; seta 6 -C usually single, rarely with 2 or 3 branches.......................................................................................................................................................... 13 13 (12).Seta 4 -X (ventral brush) with long main basal stem, at least 1.5 –2.0 length of transverse grid bar at base of central cratal seta; anal papillae (gills) tapering; seta 1 -X (saddle seta) nearly as long as saddle [SI 2.6 (2.2–4.2); PTF 1–2: 1: 1: 1: 2: 1: 3]............................................................................................................................... Oc. leucomelas - Seta 4 -X branched from near base, main stem subequal to length of transverse grid bar at base of central cratal seta; anal papillae rounded; seta 1 -X short, about 0.5 length of saddle (Caspius Complex) (Note 30)................. 14 14 (13).Seta 1 -S (siphonal tuft) inserted beyond middle of siphon, usually with more than 5 (5–10) branches; seta 1 - III–VI short with more than 2 simple branches; seta 3 -VIII usually with more than 8 branches; seta 1 -P (prothoracic seta 1) usually single [SI 2.9 (1.4–3.2); PTF 1: 1: 2: 1: 1–2: 1: 3]................................................ Oc. caspius s.l. - Seta 1 -S inserted about midlength of siphon, usually with fewer than 5 (3-6) branches; seta 1 -III–VI long with 2 aciculate branches; seta 3 -VIII usually with fewer than 8 branches; seta 1 -P usually double [SI 2.3 (1.4 –3.0); PTF 2: 1: 2: 1: 2: 1: 3]...................................................................................................................................... Oc. dorsalis *