Chironomidce, or Midges 
109 
than the two preceding combined, while the last five are sub-equal to, 
or longer than the preceding segment. The legs are relatively stouter 
than in the other Chironomidae. The following three genera of this 
subfamily are best known as blood suckers in this country. 
Of the genus Culicoides there are many species occurring in various 
parts of the world. A number are known to bite man and animals and 
it is probable that all are capable of inflicting injury. In some 
localities they are called punkies, in others, sand-flies, a name some¬ 
times also applied to the species of Simulium and Phlebotomus. 
Owing to their very small size they are known by some tribes of 
Indians as No-see-ums. The larva? are found in ponds, pools, water 
standing in hollow tree stumps, and the like. Though probably living 
chiefly in fresh water, we have found a species occurring in salt water. 
The larvae are small, slender, legless, 
worm-like creatures (fig. 77 c) with 
small brown head and twelve body 
segments. The pupae (fig. 77c) are 
slender, more swollen at the anterior 
end and terminating in a forked pro¬ 
cess. They float nearly motionless in 
a vertical position, the respiratory 
tubes in contact with the surface film. 
The adults are all small, rarely exceed¬ 
ing 2>4 mm. in length. The wings 
are more or less covered with erect 
setulas or hairs and in many species 
variously spotted and marked with 
iridescent blotches. The antennae have fourteen segments, the palpi 
usually five. The wing venation and mouth-parts are shown in 
figures 77 and 78. Of the twenty or more species of this genus 
occurring in the United States the following are known to bite: C. 
cinctus, C. guttipennis, C. sanguisuga, C. stellifer, C. variipennis, 
C. unicolor. 
One of the most widely distributed and commonest species in the 
Eastern States is C. guttipennis (fig. 77a). It is black with brown 
legs, a whitish ring before the apex of each femur and both ends of 
each tibia; tarsi yellow, knobs of halteres yellow. Mesonotum 
opaque, brown, two vittae in the middle, enlarging into a large spot 
on the posterior half, also a curved row of three spots in front of each 
wing, and the narrow lateral margins, light gray pruinose. Wings 
78. Culicoides guttipennis; mouth 
parts of adult. After Pratt. 
