960 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Description of Female, Male, and Laeva of Megaehinus poetoricensis: 



Female. Proboscis rather long, curved, tapering to a point. Palpi stout 

 and long, about two-thirds the length of the proboscis; long joint compressed, 

 with a constriction at the basal two-fifths; penultimate joint stout, cylindrical, 

 about two-fifths as long as preceding; terminal joint minute; vestiture metallic 

 blue and purple, beneath mostly brassy scaled; false articulation and apex of 

 long joint pale violet scaled. Antennae filiform, slender, the joints subequal, 

 with whorls of long, very delicate hairs, almost plumose; second joint nearly 

 half as long again as the succeeding one, on its basal half a dorsal crest of erect 

 black scales; tori black with silvery pruinosity. Clypeus transverse, broadly 

 rounded, black with silvery pruinosity. Occiput covered with flat bright blue 

 and green iridescent scales, ocular margins broadly silvered; cheeks and head 

 beneath silvery scaled. 



Prothoracic lobes very prominent, covered with flat metallic-blue scales and 

 bearing a few coarse black setae. Mesonotum much denuded in the unique 

 specimen ; scales on the disk dark brown with metallic dark blue ones scattered 

 about ; lateral margins broadly light metallic blue, and a trace of a blue median 

 stripe ; posteriorly many bright green scales, and over roots of wings patches of 

 brilliant blue scales. Scutellum covered with bright silvery-blue scales. Post- 

 notum brown, nude. Pleura and coxae deep brown, covered with silvery scales. 



Abdomen subcylindrical, but slightly larger at the middle, with a slight 

 dorsal ridge on basal half; dorsal vestiture of dark metallic-blue scales which 

 shade off into violaceous on the seventh and eighth segments, a series of narrow 

 segmental lateral spots of silvery -white ; first segment bright silvery-blue scaled ; 

 venter very pale golden scaled, with a median longitudinal stripe of metallic 

 dark blue scales ; tip of abdomen with coarse yellowish bristles ; no caudal tufts. 



Wings rather narrow, clear, with smoky tinge on anterior margin; costal 

 vein dark jDurple scaled; basal cross-vein oblique, close to anterior cross-vein, 

 Halteres pale, with black silver scaled knobs. 



Legs slender; vestiture dark metallic-blue and purple; knees white; under 

 sides of femora silvery; fourth segment of hind tarsi brilliant white, black at 

 tip. Claw formula, 0.0-0.0-0.0. 



Length: Body 8 mm.; wing 6.5 mm. 



Male. Proboscis rather long, curved, tapering to a point. Palpi rather 

 stout, very long, slightly longer than the proboscis ; long joint stout, somewhat 

 compressed, dilated at apex, a false articulation about two-fifths from base; 

 penultimate joint stout, slightly dilated at tip, about three-fifths the length 

 of the preceding; terminal joint about as long as long joint, slender, very 

 slightly curved and tapering to a point; vestiture metallic-blue and purple, 

 false articulations and apices of all but last joint light shining blue, beneath 

 and at the sides all but the last joint mostly brassy scaled. Antennae stout, very 

 densely plumose; last two joints long and slender, the others short, stout, 

 cylindrical, with basal whorls of long dense black hairs; second segment long 

 and stout, compressed, more than twice the length of the succeeding one and 

 bearing a crest of erect purplish iridescent scales ; tori deep brown, covered with 

 silvery pruinosity. Clypeus broadly rounded, somewhat produced at middle, 

 deep brown. Occiput bright metallic-l)lue scaled, ocular margins silvery; 

 cheeks and head beneath silvery scaled. Prothoracic lobes prominent, clothed 

 with flat, brilliant metallic-blue scales and bearing a few coarse black setse. 

 Mesonotum clothed with deep brown scales on the disk, lateral margins in- 

 volving anterior angles and a median stripe light metallic-blue and green scaled ; 

 on posterior half of disk ill defined subdorsal stripes of metallic blue and green 

 scales, and these predominate toward posterior margin ; anteriorly close to the 

 margin are elongate patches of metallic, very deep blue scales; patches of 



