442 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XIII 



86. CULEX DECENS, Theobald (Monog. II, p. 34). 

 (Ropt. Liverpool School Trop. Med. 1901.) 



Tarsi uniformly Ijrown. Thorax deep brown to black, with 

 chestnut-brown scales. Abdomen almost black, with basal 

 white bands, regular on the third to fifth segments, but widening 

 out prominently on the sixth and seventh to form clear lateral 

 spots, the eightli being mainly white. Tarsal claws of ? , equal 

 and simple. 



? . — Head almost black, \vith small narrow curved creamy, and nu- 

 merous dark upright forked scales, quite black in some lights, the pale 

 scales forming a distinct line round the eyes ; clypeus dark brown ; palpi 

 black ; those of $ , longer than the proboscis b\' the last jomt and one- 

 third the next, black, with a trace of a light band near the base ; antennae 

 dark brown, with black verticillate hairs and pale pubescence ; proboscis 

 deep bronzy-brown. Scutellum brown, with pale scales and seven bright 

 brown bristles on the middle lobe. Pleurae marked ochreous and grey, 

 with three white patches, one of wliich, of elongated form, lies just over 

 the first two pairs of legs. Legs brown, grey at their bases, with a trace 

 of a knee-spot. Halteves yellow with duskj- knobs. Length. — 5 mm. 



Habitat. — Bonny, Africa. 



87. CULEX MASCULUS, Theobald (Monog. II, p. 125). 



Tarsi uniformly purple-black. Thorax deep brown with golden- 

 brown curved scales, and with three rows of black bristles, the 

 middle row ending at the middle of the mesouotum. Abdomen 

 dusky brown, with narrow white basal bands, which form three 

 lateral patches on the last three segments. Six central scutellar 

 bristles. Tarsal claws of the fore and mid legs of the <? , unequal, 

 the larger one toothed, the smaller, and both the hind claws, 

 simple. 



$ . — Head co\ered with creamj' scales in the middle, flat white ones 

 at the sides, with numerous black and brown upright forked scales all 

 over the crown ; antenme brown ; palpi of $ , black, very short ; those of 

 <y , deep brown, with a small pale ring on the basal third. Pleurae brown, 

 with dull white patches. Legs pale at the base and ventral surface of 

 the femora, remainder purplish-black, a pale spot at the apex of femora 

 and tibiip, last tarsal joint deep ochreous. Halteres pale at the base, 

 fuscous for their apical halves. Venter deep brown ; with basal bands, 

 much broader and more distinct than those on the terga. Length. — 

 About 4 mm. 



Habitat. — Freetown, Sierra Leone ; September. 



