BITING MIDGES — WIRTH AND BLANTON 299 



the aedeagus, together with a fusion of the parameres, all characters 

 resembling those of the subgenus Culicoides (Hoffmania). 



In systematic position and geographic development this group is 

 intermediate between the subgenus Culicoides (Hoffmania) and the 

 more typical Culicoides (Culicoides). When better investigated by 

 further intensive collecting, the extraordinary speciation of this group 

 and the nigrigenus group in Central America and the southern Carib- 

 bean fringe may shed important clues on the biogeographic history of 

 the connections between North and South America. 



Panama species: Five: covagarciai Ortiz, efferus Fox, marshi Wirth 

 and Blanton, metagonatus Wirth and Blanton, and rostratus Wirth and 

 Blanton. 



12. Culicoides efferus Fox 



Figure 15 



Culicoides efferus Fox, 1952, Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., vol. 45, p. 365 (female; Rio 

 Charape, Peru; fig. wing, palpus, tibial connb, spermathecae, antenna). — 

 Wirth and Blanton, 1956, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 58, p. 217 (male, 

 female; Peru, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras; fig. wing, palpus, spermathecae, 

 male genitalia). 



Female: Length of wing 1.49 (1.35-1.62, n=6) mm. 



Head. — Eyes contiguous, bare. Antenna with flagellar segments in 

 proportion of 25:22:24:24:24:24:24:24:25:25:28:38:52, antennal 

 ratio 0.93; distal sensory tufts present on segments iii, xi-xv. Pro- 

 boscis very long, 1.42 times as long as height of an eye. Palpal seg- 

 ments in proportion of 10:38:43:25:21, third segment slender, 3.9 

 (3.5-4.4, n=6) times as long as broad, with a small, shallow, sensory 

 pit at distal third. Mandible with 24 (22-26, n=8) teeth. 



Thorax. — Mesonotum and scutellum subshining bright yellow. 

 Legs uniformly yellowish; hind tibial comb with six spines. 



Wing. — Pattern as figured, pale yellowish, with very restricted dark 

 spots; costa extending to 0.67 of wing length. Macrotrichia very 

 scanty on distal fourth of wing. Halter whitish. 



Abdomen. — Dark brown. Spermathecae two, pyriform, subequal, 

 each measuring 0.053 by 0.041 mm. 



Male genitalia: Ninth sternum without posterior excavation; 

 ninth tergum long and tapering, rounded caudad with only faint ves- 

 tiges of apicolateral processes, deeply cleft mesad at apex with a pair 

 of pointed, contiguous, bare, submedian lobes. Basistyle with ventral 

 and dorsal roots undeveloped, mesal margin with yellowish hyaline 

 spinose setae. Aedeagus narrow basally, anterior sclerotized mem- 

 brane covering slightly more than distal half of basal arch; distal peg 

 and apical spherical tip very slender. Parameres fused more than 

 halfway to apices, the free portions very slender, pointed, hairy, the 

 common basal portion not greatly expanded laterally. 



