Species: Aedes fitchii

DIAGNOSIS: Tarsal segments with a wide band of white scales only on the base of each segment. Tarsal claw evenly curved. Subbasal tooth about 1/3 as long as claw. Abdominal segments with basal light bands of scales. Setae present or absent on lower mesepimeron. Mesomeron with a few light coloured scales. Antennal pedicel with light coloured scales dominating the medial surface. Wing veins covered by mostly dark scales with light scales interspersed among them. Females of fitchii, stimulans, mercurator and euedes are all very similar and likely have been mistaken for each other. This has resulted in stimulans being mistakenly reported from SK (Wood etal 1979).

BIOLOGY: Overwinters in the egg stage. Most abundant in the prairie aspen bluff region of the province. Adults occur in June. A single generation each year.

References:

Wood, D.M., P.T. Dang, and R.A. Ellis. 1979. The mosquitoes of Canada. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada. Part 6. Biosystematics Research Institute. Agriculture Canada Ottawa, Ontario.

Rempel, J.G. 1953. The mosquitoes of Saskatchewan. Can.J. Zool. 31:433-509.