278 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI 



18. MEGARHINA(?) YIOLACEA (Hoffmansegg). 



No species referable to the very scanty description given 

 below has come to hand, so the original is, j^f'o forma, reproduced. 



Culex violaceus, Hoffmansegg. 



Caudal tufts yellow and black (?). Tarsi uniformly coloured. 

 Thorax fuscous. 



Description from Wied., " D.E.," p. 7. — Steel-coloured, with a fuscous 

 thorax ; sides of the abdomen golden-yellow ; tarsi without any white 

 markings. Somewhat resembles M. (C.) splendens, "Wied., but differs 

 from it in its smaller size. 



Genus IL TOXORHYNCHITES, Theobald (1891). 



This genus has been constituted by Mr. Theobald for the 

 reception of a single species, aberrant, though obviously allied to 

 Megarhina, which he defines as follows : — 



Head clothed with flat scales ; thorax with small, flat, spindle-shaped 

 scales ; abdomen with flat scales. Palpi in the $ three-jointed, the last 

 joint long and rounded at the end, shghtly curved at the apex ; in the 

 (J five-jointed. Proboscis long and curved, as in Megarhina. Wing 

 venation much as in Megarhina, the supernumerary cross-vein nearer 

 the apex of the wing than the mid cross-vein. Ungues of 5 equal and 

 simple. Abdomen with a caudal tuft. 



This genus resembles Megarhina on the one hand and Culex on the 

 other. From Megarhina, however, it differs in the 5 having short 

 palpi. From Culex it differs in the wing venation, which resembles 

 Megarhina. (" Monog.") 



1. TOXORHYNCHITES BREYIPALPIS, Theob. 



(Monog., p. 245). 



Thorax brown, covered with olive-brown scales, with a 

 greenish tinge, and pale blue ones on each side. Abdomen deep 

 metallic blue, with lateral white scales, and with white, black, 

 and orange caudal tuft. Legs metallic blue, base of first and 

 most of second tarsal joint, pure white ; in the hind legs base of 

 second tarsal only white ; fore legs uniform. 



$ . — Head bright blue in front, darker behind ; palpi three-jointed, 

 rather thick, and about one quarter the length of proboscis, of a bright 

 purple tint ; proboscis purple at base, bronzy at apex ; antenme deep 

 brown, the scaphus black, with cinereous reflections. Protlioracic lobes 

 pale blue ; scutellum and metathorax deep brown ; pleurae black, with 

 dense white scales. Abdomen briUiant deep luetaUic blue, with a caudal 



