Culex ( Eumelanomyia ) richei Klein, 1970

4. Culex ( Eumelanomyia) richei Klein, 1970 View in CoL

Two adult males (A39468, A39625) were reared from larvae collected in a cement tank located between Shillong and Cherrapunji ( 25.246460 N; 91.73104 E, 1,149 m a.s.l) in East Khasi Hills on 01.I.2024. Culex richei is previously known only from Cambodia and Thailand. The two males, with antennae and genitalia mounted on microscope slides, were examined and compared with the descriptions by Klein (1970) and Sirivanakarn (1972), as well as the detailed descriptions and characterization of previously unknown life stages provided by Harbach & Mongkolpanya (1988).

Diagnosis. Culex richei belongs to the Tenuipalpis Subgroup and the male is characterized by a maxillary palpus approximately 0.75 times the length of the proboscis ( Fig. 2m). Culex richei can be readily distinguished from all other species within this subgroup by the presence of 4 or 5 linear submarginal setae on the gonocoxite ( Fig. 2n). The phallosome bears strong denticles restricted to the inner tergal surface of the lateral plate, with the lateral tergal area remaining bare ( Fig. 2o).