Dec, 1906] DyarandKnab: Larvae of Cuucid/E. 171 



Family CULICIM. 



Definition . 



The larvae of the Culieidae are characterized by a well-formed head, 

 enclosed in a chitinous covering, with compound eyes, single-jointed 

 antennae, a vibratile or prehensile group of hairs before the oral orifice, 

 well-developed toothed mandibles with a row of cilia, quadrate or 

 conical hirsute maxillae and a short single-jointed palpus. The thoracic 

 segments are consolidated into a transversely elliptical flattened 

 mass; the abdomen consists of nine segments slender and submonili- 

 form, the eighth with a dorsal respiratory opening, often prolonged 

 into a chitinous tube, connecting with two tracheae running the 

 length of the body. The last segment is smaller, is furnished with 

 a chitinous plate and usually with four delicate anal appendages. 

 The body is supplied with setae in tufts or singly, usually more or less 

 conspicuously feathered . There are generally present certain scales on 

 the sides of the eighth segment and in two rows on the posterior 

 aspect of the air tube. 



From the other aquatic Nematoeerous Diptera, the Culieidae are 

 separable by the presence of the mouth brush, the shape of the anal 

 segment and the absence of abdominal feet. The Corethridae and 

 Dixidae run very close to the Culieidae, and seem, indeed, inseparable 

 therefrom on any one character, although different enough in the gen- 

 eral complex of characters. 



Classification. 



Until their verv recent sudden rise into economic importance, the 

 Culieidae have been a much neglected family. Very lately there has 

 arisen great activity in the collection and study of these insects, 

 which has resulted in an extensive work by Mr. F. V. Theobald of 

 Wye, England, based on the large material which has been accumu- 

 lated at the British Musuem. The results have been remodelled by 

 Prof. R. Blanchard of Paris, France, and certain crudities eliminated, 

 the whole now presented to the public in excellent form The system 

 seems to us unsound from top to bottom. We cannot restrain a 

 feeling of surprise that eminent authors should adopt such weak 

 characters for the separation of subfamilies and genera. Much 

 weight is given to the length of the palpi in the male or female, to 

 which we find two fundamental objections. The length of palpi 



