Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory

A total of 103 pairs of setae are found on the abdomen, including the paddles. The development, positions and the presence or absence of various setae provide numerous characters for distinguishing species and groups. Other important characters include the pattern of pigmentation, the presence or absence of a dorsal puncture on segments III-V, the size and shape of the genital lobe in males, and various characteristics of the paddles. The shape, position or absence of paddle seta 1-Pa and seta 2-Pa sometimes provide diagnostic characters. The paddle index, the ratio of paddle length to paddle width, is occasionally used to separate species.