32 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Sabethes Dyar & Knab (in part), Can. Ent., xxxix, 49, 1907. 

 Sahethinus Theobald, Mon. Culic, iv, 618, 1907. 

 Sabethinus Peryassu, Os Culic. do Brazil, 38, 1908. 

 Sabethes Williston (in part), No. Am. Dipt., 3 ed., 108, 1908. 

 Sabetes Pazos (in part), San. y Ben., ii, 44, 1909. 

 Sabethinus Theobald, Mon. Culic, v, 574, 1910. 



The type species are: of Sabethinus Lutz, Sabethinus intermedius Lutz; of 

 Sabettinus Blanchard, Sabethinus intermedius Lutz. 



Generic Diagnosis of Adult: 



Head moderate; proboscis rather short, swollen at the apex; palpi short in both 

 sexes; eyes large, contiguous at the vertex; antennae with the joints subequal, similar 

 in the sexes, sparsely plumose, each joint with a whorl of long hairs near the base 

 and a small one near the apex, more obvious in the male than in the female. Pro- 

 thoracic lobes large, contiguous dorsally. Vestiture of flat appressed scales. Without 

 setae on the disk of the mesonotum. Abdomen subcylindrical, blunt at the tip, later- 

 ally compressed; in the male expanded apically. Legs long and slender, the mid 

 femora proportionate, the hind ones shorter. Wings rather narrow, the cross-veins 

 tending to lie in line. Claws small, equal and simple. 



Generic Diagnosis of Larva: 



Head normal, mouth-parts concealed; maxillae conical, drawn out into a long 

 terminal claw, heavily armed on inner margin. Air-tube with spicular sculpture; 

 lateral comb present on eighth abdominal segment; a pair of dorsal hooks on seventh 

 segment. 



Forested regions of tropical America, 



We placed the genus Sabethinus at first as a synonym of Sabethes, but have 

 finally concluded to recognize it upon the proportions of the femora. This con- 

 sists in an elongation of the mid femora of Sabethes, while Sabethinus retains 

 the normal proportions. The character is not very fundamental, as the elonga- 

 tion of the mid legs of Sabethes is connected with the display of the " paddles " 

 with which they are furnished and is, therefore, of something of an adaptational 

 character. The two groups, however, seem well separated on their general 

 characters, while no one has been able to find the larvae of Sabethes and those of 

 Sabethinus are easily found. There must be some marked difference in habits, 

 vrhich will confirm us in the separation of the genera. 



The larvae occur in the water in bamboo-jomts, often in considerable numbers. 

 They are predaceous, devouring the larvse of other mosquitoes. We are unable 

 to say whether such constitute their only diet, but imagine that they must have 

 other food and not be essentially cannibalistic, or they would not so frequently 

 occur in considerable numbers in the same receptacle. The larvae are said to 

 hang perpendicularly from the air-tube when at rest. We are unacquainted with 

 the function of the peculiar hooks on the dorsum of the seventh abdominal seg- 

 ment. The eggs are unknown. The adults are diurnal and are occasionally 

 common in bamboo woods. They bite readily. 



We have not seen the type species, S. intermedius. This is stated to have 



scales upon the postnotum, while they are absent in our species. However, we 



can give this difference no significance as the same differences occur within the 



genus Sabethes. 



Tables of the Species of Sabethinus. 



ADULTS, structure AND COLORATION (FOR ALL THE KNOWN SPECIES). 



1. Postnotum without scales 2 



Postnotum with scales 4 



2. Abdomen with purple and coppery-red reflections purpureus Theobald 



Abdomen with blue or greenish luster 3 



3. Anal setae of the abdomen long, black; hind tarsi dark identicus Dyar & Knab 



Anal setae shorter, brownish; fifth hind tarsal white below undosus Coquillett 



4. Sets at base of wings jet black 5 



Setae at base of wing light golden-brown aurescens Lutz 



5. Mesonotum metallic green intermedius Lutz 



Mesonotum deep metallic blue albiprivatus Lutz 



