Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory

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Abbreviation:

Ps

Variants:

Pl. proepisterna; Adj. proepisternal

Definition:

The area of the propleuron anterior to the propleural suture. In mosquitoes, extending from the antepronotum to the base of the forecoxa where it expands anteroventrally around the coxa to meet its mate of the opposite side.

Explanation:

Since the prosternum is clearly composed of the basisternum and furcasternum, which are joined along a sternacostal suture, the ventral part of the proepisternum extending before and between the forecoxae is probably part of the ventral arc of the subcoxa (precoxal bridge, or precoxale) and should be considered a part of the episternum rather than part of the sternum. This has been done in Dixidae by Nowell (1951) and in Culicidae by Owen (1977), who termed this area of the proepisternum the “preepisternum”.

Synonyms:

basisternum (in part), episternum, eusternum (in part), katepisternum 1 (in part), pre-coxal bridge (in part), precoxale (in part), preepisternum 1 (in part), probasisternum (in part), propleuron (in part), proeusternum (in part), prosternal lobe (in part), prosternal plate, prosternum, sternite 1 (in part)