Un Nouveau Genre De Culicidae (diptera),paulianiusn. Gen., Avec La Description De Trois Nouvelles Espèces Malgaches

SummaryA new genus of Culicidae (Diptera), Paulianius n. gen., with the description of three new species from Madagascar. The Diceromyia from Madagascar are reviewed by studying the collections present at the IRD in Montpellier, France and at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. The morphological comparison of malagasies “Diceromyia”, african Diceromyia and indian Tewarius shows the originality and homogeneity of malagasies “Diceromyia”. Moreover, a comparative analysis of ribosomal DNA between african Diceromyia and malagasies “Diceromyia” showed an important genetic difference between these two groups. This result leads to classify all malagasies species in a new genus, Paulianius Brunhes & Boussès, n. gen. This revision presents a new iconography and new descriptions of the known species: Paulianius tiptoni (Grjebine, 1953), n. comb., Paulianius madagascarensis (Someren, 1948), n. comb., Paulianius grassei (Doucet, 1951), n. comb. and Paulianius coulangesi (Rodhain & Boutonnier, 1983), n. comb. Diceromyia sylvaticus (Brunhes, 1982) is considered as a junior synonym of Paulianius madagascarensis (Someren, 1948). Three new species are described: Paulianius hirsutus n. sp., caught in the preimaginal stage in the dry regions of west Madagascar, Paulianius ambremontis n. sp. which seems to be linked to the large forest north of Madagascar and Paulianius rodhaini n. sp. The neotype of Paulianius grassei designated by Brunhes in 1982 is invalidated, the original type series having been rediscovered. The African species Diceromyia nivea (De Meillon, 1943) has, for convenience, been placed in the african genus Diceromyia. However, many morphological characters are opposed to this decision. These characters which pose a problem to its integration in the genus Diceromyia invite to its integration in the malagasy genus Paulianius and the section Niveus is proposed to accommodate Diceromyia nivea among Paulianius. The Paulianius are thus subdivided into three sections: (1) the Tiptoni section, of which the scutum is predominantly white in its anterior half, and the lower mesepimeral setae present, and comprises Paulianius tiptoni and Paulianius hirsutus n. sp.; (2) the Niveus section, which currently includes only Paulianius niveus whose scutum is predominantly white in its anterior half, lower mesepimeral setae absent and for which male’s gonocoxite carries an apical dorsal tuft of foliaceous setae; (3) the Coulangesi section, whose black scutum has longitudinal lines of white scales, has one lower mesepimeral seta, and includes Paulianius coulangesi, Paulianius ambremontis n. sp., Paulianius madagascarensis, Paulianius rodhaini n. sp and Paulianius grassei. New distribution maps are provided. Finally, the relationships between the Diceromyia present on the African continent, the Tewarius of the Indian peninsula and South-East Asia, and the Malagasies and african Paulianius, are discussed. A hypothesis to account for this distribution of the three genera is proposed.