Carpenter et al.: Mosquitoes of Southern U. S. 271 



of eighth segment of about 8 to 12 scales in a single curved or irregular row; 

 individual scale long, thorn-shaped, nearly smooth, but with a few minute 

 spinules toward base. Siphon three to four times as long as basal width, dis- 

 tinctly upcurved; pecten of about 6 to 9 rather evenly spaced teeth on basal 

 third of siphon; individual pecten tooth fringed on one side to tip; eight pairs 

 of very long multiple barbed subventral tufts present, the basal two inserted 

 within the pecten and nearly as long as siphon; two small 2 to 3-branched tufts 

 inserted laterally; dorsal preapical spine as long or longer than the apical pecten 

 tooth, recurved. Anal segment a little longer than wide, completely ringed by 

 the dorsal plate; lateral hair usually 2 to 3-branched; dorsal brush bilaterally 

 consisting of a long lower caudal hair and an upper caudal tuft of one long and 

 one short hair; ventral tuft well-developed, confined to the barred area; gills 4, 

 each tapered to a blunt point, the ventral pair as long or longer than the seg- 

 ment, the dorsal pair shorter. 



distribution. — Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, West 

 Indies and northern South America. Southern States: Alabama and Florida 

 (96); Georgia (148); Kentucky (140); Louisiana (96); Mississippi (97); 

 North Carolina (52); South Carolina (64). 



bionomics. — Females of this species cannot be separated with certainty 

 from other members of the subgenus Melanoconion, therefore nothing is known 

 of their feeding habits. The larvae occur mostly in pools of a temporary nature, 

 such as ditches, grassy pools and floodwater areas. King et al. (96) state that 

 the eggs are able to withstand drying, an unusual trait in this genus. Larvae 

 have been collected from April to December in the extreme South (4th Sv. C. 

 Med. Lab. records, 1942-1944, unpublished). 



CULEX (NeOCULEX) APICALIS Adams 



Culex apicalis Adams, 1903, Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull., 2:26. 



ADULT FEMALE. — Rather small species. Head: Proboscis long, dark scaled; 

 palpi short, dark. Broad dorsal region of occiput clothed with whitish to golden 

 lanceolate scales and numerous brown erect forked scales (forked scales of 

 central portion often pale) ; lateral region of occiput clothed with broad whitish 

 scales. Thorax: Integument of scutum light brown; vestiture of lanceolate scales 

 (somewhat coarser than on C. restuans, salinarius, and nigripalpus), usually 

 light brown, but varying on different specimens from light gray to dark brown; 

 scales of anterior and lateral margins and of prescutellar space paler; frequent- 

 ly a pair of indefinite submedian spots of pale scales present near middle of 

 scutum. Pleura with a few patches of broad white scales. Abdomen: Tergites 

 dark-brown to black scaled with bronze to metallic blue-green reflection; each 

 tergite except the first with a conspicuous apical triangular patch of white scales 

 on either side, usually joined by a narrow dorso-apical band of similar scales. 

 Venter whitish scaled. Legs: Legs dark scaled with bronze to metallic blue- 

 green reflection except for pale inner surfaces of femora and tibiae and a pale 

 streak usually present on one side of segment 1 of tarsi. Wing: Scales narrow, 

 dark. 



