[Description of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) coluzzii n. sp. (Diptera, Culicidae), twin A species of the detritus complex].

Reports of a wide variation in space and time of the frequency of autogeny in Aedes (Ochlerotatus) detritus (Haliday, 1833) of the Camargue (Delta of the Rhône, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, France) led us to make an enzymatic analysis of male and female adults from different larval biotopes. The study showed the existence of two genetically distinct, sympatric populations which are morphologically indistinguishable. By diagnostic enzymes monomorph Got-2, Gpd, the grouping of the individual into two subgroups satisfies a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the polymorphic enzymes. It is concluded that Ae. detritus is composed of a complex of two sibling species provisionally designated by the letters A (Got-2RR, GpdCC) and B (Got-2LL, GpdBB). In the present article, we retrace the history of the binomen Ae. detritus since the original description (sub nom. Culex detritus) to the split into the detritus complex. Certain ecophysiological (steno-eurygamy) and chorological (bioclimatic gradients N-S) criteria show that the sibling species B should be assigned to the taxon described in UK (Holywood, County Down, Ireland) by A.H. Haliday. Species A is here named Aedes (Ochlerotatus) Coluzzii n. sp.