THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 129 



NOTES ON CULEX SQUAMIGER, COQ., WITH DESCRIPTION 



OF A CLOSELY-ALLIED SPECIES. 



BY JOHN A. GROSSBECK, NEW BRUNSWICK. N. J. 



In a recent number of this journal* Mr. Quayle gives some notes on 

 the habits of tlie CahTornian Culex squamiger, Coq., and compares these 

 briefly with those of a species occurring in New Jersey which we have 

 been calling squamiger (following a determination by Mr. Coquillett), and 

 suggests the possibility of there being two forms. The identification of 

 our species with the Californian one has been doubted by Prof Smith and 

 myself since we learned of the salt-water habit of the latter ; but not 

 until Mr. Quayle pointed out the difference in the length of tra':heal gills 

 of the larva was a close comparison of the species made. This I was 

 able to do through the kindness of Mr. Quayle, who some time ago sent 

 Prof Smith, among other specimens, a male and female squamiger^ and 

 also several larv?e supposed to be of this species. The larvae, it turns 

 out, cannot be differentiated from Culex Ctirriei, which species I believe 

 them to be. Should they, however, eventually prove to be the true 

 squamiger, then some of the characters are greatly at variance with our 

 species. ^ ' 



The adult New Jersey form may be characterized as follows : 

 Culex sylvicola, n. sp. — V • Length, 6-7 mm. Head brown, occiput 

 clothed with whitish scales and a patch of brown ones on each side of the 

 median line contiguous to the eyes ; antennae brown, the basal joint and 

 two following ones ochreous ; proboscis and palpi blackish-brown, slightly 

 sprinkled with white scales, the latter with the third joint rather long, the 

 apical one minute, rounded, white scaled. The dorsum of the mesonotum 

 is covered with cinereous scales, and a broad, median, dark brown vitta 

 extends forward from the posterior margin, which becomes narrow 

 anteriorly and golden-brown in colour ; two other dark brown marks 

 extend from the posterior margin not quite to the middle of the 

 mesonotum, separated from the median vitta by a narrow line ; scutellum 

 cinereous, with brown bristles on the posterior margin; metanotum evenly 

 brown ; pleura brown, with dense, fluffy patches of whitish scales ; 

 halteres yellowish, tipped with brown and white. Abdomen blackish- 

 , brown above, with a few whitish scales intermixed ; segments one to five 

 have each a broad yellowish white band at the base, segments six and 

 seven with an additional narrow apical band ; beneath it is dirty white, 



*Can. Ent., Vol. XXXVIII, p. 27, 



April, 1906, 



