388 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XIII 



Owing to the large number of species to be dealt with it will 

 be more convenient to subdivide its tabulation into a number of 

 groups as follows : — 



In the first group are included all Cidices with spotted wings, 

 whatever may be the decoration of the other parts ; in the second, 

 all the plain-winged Culices with a banded proboscis ; while the 

 remaining groups, including all species with unadorned wings 

 and proboscis, are based on the presence or absence of pale 

 bands on the tarsi, and their exact position when present ; so 

 that, to determine the group to which any species under 

 examination may belong, only three characters need be noted : — 

 viz., those of the wing, proboscis, and tarsi. Each group is 

 further subdivided according to the characters of the abdomen, in 

 addition to which the characters of the thorax should also be 

 carefully noted, before referring to the tables, when identifying an 

 unknown species. The seven groups may be distinguished as 

 follows : — 



Group I. — With spotted wiiiRs (proboscis banded or unhanded). 

 Group II. — With unspotted wings, but with the proboscis banded. 

 Group III. — With wings and proboscis unadorned, but witli i)ale 



basal bands on the tarsal joints. 

 Group IV. — As in group III., but with pale bands on the apices of 



the tarsal joints. 

 Group Y. — As in group III., but with pale bands " on the tarsal 



articulations," i.e., involving two contiguous joints. 

 Group YI. — As in group III., but witli certain tarsal joints wholly 



white. 

 Group VII. — As in gi-oup III., but with the tarsi unadorned. 



Although this is not a natural grouping, it aids ver)^ 

 materially in identifying species in this still unwieldy genus. 



Group I. — Synoptic Taulk ok Spotted-Winged Cl:lex, 



A. Spots along the costa. 



Proboscis with a pale band in tlie mid- 

 dle ; costa black, witii yellow spots 



and apex ; abclomiual segments 



basally yellow banded 1. ntiiiuiiciis, 'Soe. 



Proboscis pale ferruginous, with a 



broad yellow band in the middle. 



Wings with three long yellow and 



three long black costal spots ; a large 



species, with apical abdominal bands 



enlarged in tlie middle 2. Bigot ii, liellardi 



Proboscis uubanded (?) 'S. Hijrcanus, PiUlas. 



