266 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Dominica, July 28, 1905, larvre and egg-boats in ill-smelling, thick water in 

 cacao-husks on a cacao plantation (A. Busck), 



CULEX DICTATOR Dyar & Knab. 



Culex dictator Dyar & Knab, Smiths. Misc. Colls., quart, iss., lii, 255, 1909. 

 Origin AX Description of Culex dictatob: 



Another part of the specimens referred to above from Dominica are close to 

 vindicator, but the abdomen is differently colored; in the present species it is black 

 above with a coppery luster, the basal white bands of uniform width, while in vindi- 

 cator it is dull black, the basal white bands mesially produced. 



Six specimens, Dominica, July (A. Busck). 



Type no. 12099, U. S. N. M. 



Description of Female, Male, and Larva of Culex dictator: 



Proboscis moderate, subcylindrical, uniform, labellge conically tapered ; vesti- 

 ture brown with bronzy luster; sets minute, curved, black, those on labellae more 

 prominently outstanding. Palpi small and slender, one-fifth as long as pro- 

 boscis, black, with a few outstanding setae. Antennae with the basal joints some- 

 what shorter than the apical ones, rugose, pilose, black, second joint slightly en- 

 larged ; tori subspherical, with a cup-shaped apical excavation, luteous, blackish 

 on inner side; hairs of whorls sparse, moderate, black. Clypeus rounded tri- 

 angular, doubly excavated at base, dark brown, nude. Eyes black. Occiput 

 brown, clothed vsdth narrow, curved, lustrous pale-brown scales ; eyes with a 

 border of silvery-white scales expanding below ; many erect, pale-brown, forked 

 scales on nape ; a row of black bristles along margin of eyes. 



Prothoraeic lobes elliptical, remote dorsally, clothed with brown setse. Meso- 

 notum brown, with two dorsal impressed concolorous lines, showing very faintly 

 on anterior half ; vestiture of narrow, curved golden-brown scales, paler around 

 ante-scutellar space; bristles coarse, brown, numerous. Scutellum trilobate, 

 luteous, clothed with narrow, curved pale-yellowish scales, each lobe with a 

 group of brown bristles. Postnotum elliptical, prominent, luteous, nude. 

 Pleurae and cox?e luteous, the pleura with dark spots, with small patches of white 

 scales and rows of brown bristles. 



Abdomen subcylindrical, depressed, truncated at tip ; dorsal vestiture brown, 

 with a strong coppery luster, a rather narrow, shining gray band at base of each 

 segment except the first, uniform, joining a row of lateral, basal, segmental, 

 triangular spots ; venter yellowish white ; a row of yellowish hairs at tip of each 

 segment dorsally; tip of abdomen strongly hairy. 



Wings moderate, hyaline ; petiole of second marginal cell about one-third as 

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

 vein about its own length distant from anterior cross-vein ; scales blackish brown, 

 blacldsh on the costa, with a metallic luster, the outstanding ones linear, denser 

 outwardly, especially on third vein. Halteres whitish. 



Legs moderate, femora whitish beneath almost to tip ; knees and tips of tibias 

 pale ; tibias and tarsi bronzy black with a brassy reflection beneath, hind tarsi 

 with very narrow white bands at base and apex of each joint, last joint dark at 

 tip ; bands obsolete on fore and mid tarsi. Claw formula, 0.0-0.0-0.0. 



Length : Body about 2.5 mm. ; wing 2.5 mm. 



Male. Proboscis straight, longer than in the female, slightly thickened to- 

 wards the apex. Palpi slender, exceeding the proboscis by more than the length 

 of the last joint; end of long joint and last two joints with long, dense black 

 hairs; vestiture bronzy black, without rings, beneath with a brassy sheen. 

 Antennae plumose; last two joints long and slender, rugose, pilose, black, the 

 others short, pale, with black rings at insertions of hair-whorls; hairs long, 

 dense, brown. Coloration similar to the female. Wings slightly narrower than 



