270 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI 



vary according to the angle at which it falls upon them, so 

 that the reader must be prepared to find a part described as 

 black, appear deep violet, mauve or greenish, just as do the 

 beautiful tail feathers of the domestic fowl : — or vice versa. 

 This character is, of course, often noticeable in the colours 

 of other mosquitoes, but seldom to the same extent as in 

 these, where it is often strongly marked in the entire scaly 

 armature. 



1. MEGARHINA HiEMORRHOIDALIS (Fabr.) 



Culex hcBmorrJioidalis.—F&h., " E. S.," 401, 5; and Fab., 

 "S. A.," 25. 



Caudal tufts blood-red, with black hairs between them. 

 Fourth joint of palpus between two and three times as long as the 

 third. Tarsi With white markings on hind and middle legs in 

 ? but not in (?. Third joint of palpus longer than the fourth. 

 No fresh material has come to hand of this species, but Fabricius' 

 description is as follows : — 



" Fuscous, abdomen at apex, with reddish cilia, very large for this 

 genus (he refers to Culex), antennae very densely verticillate pilose, 

 fuscous with the first joint nude, glistening blue ; head fuscous, glisten- 

 ing blue on the apex ; thorax elevated, fuscous, with anterior mai'gin and 

 a spot in front of the wings glistening blue ; abdomen fuscous, apex 

 strongly rufous-ciliate ; feet blue, metallic, femora testaceous beneath ; 

 antenna' fuscous ; palpi steel-coloured ; frons and vertex ghstening 

 emerald-green and copper ; thorax steel-grey and glistening green ; 

 pleurae ferruginous ; scutellura dull yellow ; abdomen steely with ferru- 

 ginous spots on either side and forming an interrupted median line, 

 sides with silvery spots, apex with blood-red cilia ; venter silvery \vith 

 yellowish tonientum ; legs steely, femora silvery below." 



Habitat. — South America. 



2. MEGARHINA SEPARATA, Arribdlzaga. '= L. A.," p. 33. 



Caudal tufts blood-red, with violet-black hairs between them ; 

 legs unhanded in j, but with second and part of third tarsal joints 

 white in the ? . Thorax brown with fusiform metallic bronze 

 scales, azure over the wings. Abdomen violet, purple, and 

 coppery-red. Fourth joint of palpus equal in length to the third, 

 otherwise differs little from preceding. Lciujtli. — 8 to 9 mm. 

 ? to 11 <? , with palpi 19 mm. 



Habitat. — Para, Brazil (Walker) ; Cayenne ; Chaco in Formosa ; 

 Argentina ; Rio de Janeiro (Lutz) ; Lower Amazon. 



