FAMILY CERATOPOGONlD.r. THE BITING MIDGES 75 



forms suck blood and they have been observed more than onee attached 

 to "mantids" or "walkmg sticks", upon which they feed. Warm 

 blooded animals are freely attacked by representatives of the g^'nera 

 CuUcoides, Lasioheha and Lcptoconops and the tiny creatures sometimes 

 make man miserable by their unceasing attention. They are known 

 commonly as '"punkies" and "no-see-ums", the latter name because of 

 their small size, and they are unwitting jokers since almost any large 

 insect is liable to be blamed for the bites of these lilliputians. They are 

 attracted to light in large numbers and are difficult to keep from houses 

 owing to their small size. 



In Africa Cidicoides ansteni is known to be the intermediate host 

 of a parasitic worm {Acanthockeiloneura perstans), a form occurring 

 also in South America, but the worm is not known to cause any specific 

 disease. Further study may link the members of this family with the 

 transmittal of diseases of a specific nature. 



The larvas are aquatic or semi-aquatic being found in moist places, 

 in mud, sand, decaying vegetation and in tree-holes. It seems likely 

 that most of the marine species live within the tide-zone and for that 

 reason there is no practical means of control, while those living in 

 decaying vegetation form an equally serious problem. The species living 

 in tree holes are seldom aliundant and the elimination of their breeding 

 places is a simple matter. It is not known whether the larvffi are 

 scavengers or predators and it may l)e that they include ])oth groups. 



The insects are difficult to capture and require special care in han- 

 dling. Those whicli bite may ])e captured by placing a bottle over them 

 as they suck blood, but the collector will no doubt find it necessary to 

 exercise great self control during the process owing to the numbers which 

 begin feeding at the same time. Specimens seem best when mounted on 

 the side of a pin but some may be kept in alcohol and mounted on 

 slides. Owing to the delicate nature of the hairs on the wings they are 

 easily abraded and the characteristic wing pattern disappears. For 

 this reason dried specimens should always be preserved. Edwards* has 

 dealt with the British species and his paper will be found invaluable. 

 ]\Iallocht, Johannsent, Root, Hoffman and others have published on 

 the North American forms and a great deal of research is being con- 

 ducted at the present time by the last two mentioned authors. I am 

 indebted to Drs. Johannsen and Root for checking and revising the key 

 to this familv. 



* 1926, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, rp. 389-426. 



I 1915. Bull. III. state Lab. Nat. Hist., x. Article vi ; id, xi. Article 4. 



± 1905, N. Y. State Mus. Bull. itse. 



