36 INSECUTOR INSCITItE menstruus 



NOTE ON THE SUBGENUS NEOCULEX OF CULEX 



(Diptera, Culicidce) 

 By HARRISON G. DYAR 



The subgenus Neoculex (Dyar, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vii, 

 45, 1905) apparently finds a synonym in Maillotia (Theobald, 

 Mon. Culic, iv, 274, 1907). The species have the white ab- 

 dominal bands apical on the segments instead of basal ; the 

 male genitalia are distinctive in lacking the second uncal plate. 

 The common American species has been known as Culex ter- 

 ritans Walker, but erroneously. The oldest available name for 

 it appears to be Culex testaccus van der Wulp. (Discussed 

 by me, Ins. Ins. Mens., vii, 36, 1919.) A closely allied form 

 occurs in southern Europe, of which I have a male from Italy 

 by the kindness of Dr. M. Bezzi. The genitalia differ from 

 tcstaceiis in having the lobe of the side piece furnished with 

 two long filaments, two flattened setse and six small setae, in- 

 stead of two long filaments, three flattened setse and two nor- 

 mal setae. The form has been described by Brolemann as 

 Culex pyrenaicus (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, Ixxxvii, 427, 1919) ; 

 but I think an older name for the same will be found in Culex 

 modestus Ficalbi (Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital, xxi, 93. 1889). Ficalbi 

 described from one female, but later he figures the male geni- 

 talia, which appear to agree. He doe^ not mention the pale 

 apical bands on the abdomen, but as these are often narrow, it 

 occurs to me that they may have been overlooked. 



A second European species falling in Neoculex is C. hor- 

 tensis Ficalbi (Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital., xxi, 27, 1889). The male 

 has a very peculiar modification of the lobe of the side piece, 

 one of the rods being separated from the others and trans- 

 formed into a tooth ; but the second uncal plate is wholly lack- 

 ing. I do not follow Blanchard and other French authors in 

 referring hortensis to geniculatits Olivier (See Edwards, The 

 Entom., xlix, 107, 1913). I infer that Theobald's Maillotia 

 pilifera is a synonym of hortensis from Mr. Edwards' memo- 

 randum in a copy of his paper on African Culicidse (Bull. 

 Ent. Res., iii, 33, 1912) which I liavc from him. 



