3 - Aedes papago of the Sonoran Desert

Abstract: Aedes papago Zavortink is a unique and poorly known mosquito of the Sonoran Desert. The only member of its subgenus, Abraedes, Aedes papago is known only from the vicinity of Tucson, Arizona, and its larvae have never been found in nature – until the summer monsoon of 2022. Aedes papago was described in 1970 from a series of eggs collected with debris from an oak tree hole in Mendoza Canyon southwest of Tucson, and reared to the adult stage. Suspiciously, adult female Aedes papago are collected in the arid lower elevations between mountain ranges, far from the lower elevational limits of the Sky Islands’ oak forests. In these areas, dominated by mesquite, palo verde, ocotillo, and cactus, water, and mosquito larval habitat, is exceptionally scarce. The larval habitat of Aedes papago in these dry habitats has been elusive. Here, we report new details on the bionomics of this mysterious desert mosquito.