Ochlerotatus

Ochlerotatus is a genus of mosquito. It used to be part of Aedes, but now they are two separate genera.

In 2000, the aedine subgenus Ochlerotatus, which had been originally established as a genus in 1891, was restored to its original status as a genus and many of the described species and subgenera of Aedes mosquitoes were transferred to it based on taxonomic characters. After a contentious worldwide debate regarding the effect the taxonomic changes would have on names established over decades of work in scientific, government and lay communities, many scientists and others affected by the change espoused the continued use of the previously established names, with the result that the previously established names are currently (2016) supported by and accepted for publication in a significant number of influential scientific journals.