GENUS STEGOMYIA 373 



Walker ; = C. formosus, Walker ; = C. zo7iatipcs, Walker ; = C. excitans, 

 Walker ; = G. viridifrons. Walker ; = G. impatibilis. Walker ; = G. Ban- 

 croftii, Skuse ; = C mosgjti to, Arribalzaga ; =G. elegans, Ficalbi ; =G. 

 Rossii, Giles. 

 (Syst. Antl. 36, 13 (1805), Fabr. ; Aussereurop. Zweifliig. Insec. p. 8 (1828), 

 {=fasciatus), Wiedemann; Aussereurop. Zweifliig. Insec. p. 10 (1828), 

 Wiedemann ( = tceniatus) ; Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital. p. 251 (1896), Ficalbi 

 ( = C. elegans); Jour. Trop. Med. p. 64 (1899), Giles ( = C. Rossii); 

 Dipt. Argent. Kevista d. Museo d. 1. Plata, p. 60, fig. 2, pi. iii, 

 Arribalzaga ( — G. mosquito); Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii, p, 

 1740, Skuse ( = C. Bancroftii) (1886); Ins. Saundersiana, p. 430, Walker 

 { — exagitans) ; Dipt. Insects Brit. Mus. pt. 1, p. 4 (1848) [=inexor- 

 abilis); (ibid.) p. 4 (=formos2is) ; Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. v, p. 229, 

 Walker { = 207iat'ipes) ; Brit. Mus. List, i, p. 4 (1848), Walker { = ex- 

 citans) ; B. M. List, p. 3, Wlk. ( = viridifrons) ; Syst. Beschr. Zwei. 

 1, p. 3 (1818), Meigen { = caloincs) ; Dipt. Exotica, i, Macq. ( = calopus) 

 (1838); Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital. p. 251 (1896), Ficalbi ( = caZoi3«s) ; Journ. 

 Proc. Linn. Soc. iv, p. 91 (1860), Wlk. (=^impatibilis).) 



Wings densely clothed with very long black scales of three 

 grades of length. Last hind tarsal joints and all but apex of 

 next snowy; all the other joints of the hind, the upper three of 

 the mid and the upper two of the fore legs of the otherwise black 

 tarsi basally white banded, very broadly so on the hind. Thorax 

 from a velvety-black with reddish reflections, to a golden-brown 

 in some specimens, elaborately marked with rather broad silvery 

 lines arranged somewhat in the form of a lyre (vide fig. 3, 

 PI. xiv). First abdominal segment creamy-white, the others 

 black with narrow basal bands and brilliant lateral tufts of 

 snowy-white. Proboscis unhanded black. 



Head black with narrow white orbits and two faint patches of 

 white on the occiput, divided by delicate median and lateral black lines ; 

 palpi black with white tips in the ? , or in the <? , with four white basal 

 bands. Pleurae dark brown with several white patches ; scutellum with 

 a thick row of white scales and three strong tufts of bristles ; halteres 

 yellowish with darker knobs. Tarsal claws of (^ unequal on the fore and 

 mid legs, witli an accessory tooth on the larger claw of the fore pair 

 only ; in the $ symmetrical, with accessory teeth in both claws of the 

 fore and mid feet and the hind claws simple. Length varies greatly, but 

 is never more than of moderate size, and is often very small. In some 

 very dwarf specimens sent me from Calcutta by Major Alcock, the 

 length of the wing was but 2 mm. 



Habitat.— Thin is the most widely distributed gnat of the entire 

 family, being found throughout the enthe tropical and sub-tropical zones, 

 but does not appear to occur north of Italy. In the N.W.P. of India it 

 is purely a rainy weather species, but it appears to be in evidence all the 

 year round in such climates as Bombay, and I also found it in Egypt as 

 early as February. 



