128 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



clothed with elliptical, flat dark-brown scales, with a bronzy and blue reflection ; 

 scales below lateral angles whitish with a dull-blue luster ; hairs at roots of wings 

 black. Scutellum trilobate, with the vestiture similar to and continuous with 

 that of mesonotum, each lobe with a small tuft of black bristles. Postnotum 

 elliptical, prominent, dark brown, a group of small setse near posterior margin. 

 Pleuras dark brown, coxse luteous, clothed with elliptical, flat silvery-white 

 scales. 



Abdomen subcylindrical, compressed, truncate apically, and with many long 

 dark-brown terminal setae ; dorsal vestiture black, with a slight metallic reflec- 

 tion ; venter yellowish white, the colors separated at the sides in a straight line. 



Wings rather narrow, hyaline ; petiole of second marginal cell one-fourth as 

 long as its cell, that of second posterior cell slightly shorter than its cell ; basal 

 cross- vein distant less than its own length from the anterior cross-vein; scales 

 of veins dense, broadly ovate, black, with blue reflection on the costa, those 

 towards apex of wing mostly short and obliquely subtruncate. Halteres whitish 

 with black knobs. 



Legs rather long and slender, black with bronzy and blue reflection, the 

 femora whitish beneath ; tibiae and tarsi with a brighter bronzy luster beneath. 

 Claw formula, 0.0-0.0-0.0. 



Length : Body about 3.3 mm. ; wing 3.3 mm. 



Male. Palpi short, slender, about one-seventh as long as proboscis, colored 

 as in the female. Antennae similar to those of the female, the joints with small, 

 secondary subapical whorls, the basal whorls of longer and more abundant 

 hairs than in the female. Coloration similar to the female. Abdomen sub- 

 cylindrical, apical portion expanded, last segment with a marginal series of 

 coarse brown bristles. Wings narrower than in the female, basal cross-vein very 

 close to anterior cross-vein, otherwise similar to the female. Front and mid 

 tibiae and tarsi bright brassy beneath; hind tibiae and first three tarsal joints 

 silvery beneath, with a slight bronzy tint, the last two joints pure silvery white 

 beneath. Tarsal claws equal and simple; formula 0.0-0.0-0.0. 



Length : Body about 3 mm. ; wing 3 mm. 



Genitalia (plate 4, fig. 23) : Side-pieces over twice as long as wide, the tips 

 conically tapered, slightly excavated for insertion of clasp-filament ; three long 

 setae in a line below the middle. Clasp-filament with a very long, slender stem, 

 the tip expanded and divided into three lobes; inner lobe broad, subcircular, 

 fringed with setae; middle lobe furcate, outer lobe small, bearing two teeth. 

 Harpes slender, bent at tip and obscurely dentate. Harpagones forming a 

 large basal cone. Unci with the tips approximate, forming a smaller basal 

 cone. Basal appendages represented by three small setae on each side. 



The specimens of the larva are too fragmentary and in too poor condition to 

 describe. 



The larvae live in the fluid collected in the flower-bracts of a species 

 of Heliconia. 



Guatemala. 



Cacao, Trece Aguas, Alta Vera Paz, April 15, 1906, larvae in the flower-cups 

 of a species of Heliconia with erect flowers (H. S. Barber) . 



The specimens discussed by Mr. Busck as this species will be found here 

 treated as Wyeomyia cacodela, the identification having been corrected on 

 further study. We are puzzled as to the exact identity of this species, and fear 

 some confusion exists in the material. According to the collector, the specimens 

 were bred from Heliconia, and the larvae are in fact of the type that occurs in 

 that plant; but the male genitalia are those of the bromelia inhabiting species. 

 We base our description upon the adults, and refer to the larva and life history 

 upon the authority of the collector for the association, but with doubt and 

 reservation. 



