MOSQUITO NOTES — II. 73 



Megarhinus (Toxorhynchites) graveiyi, sp. nov. 



,^. Head mostly dark-scaled (colour varying with the light), a pale rim round the 

 eyes. Proboscis purple, more greenish on the thin apical portion. Palpi slender, 

 slightly longer than proboscis ; iirst joint distinctly shorter than the second or third, 

 which are about equal in length, and together about as long as the fourth ; the palpal 

 scales are purple, on the underside of the first three joints, except towards the tip of 

 the third and the base and extreme tip of the second, mostly golden. Second antennal 

 joint with some golden scales. Thorax : Prothoracic lobes and pro-epimera coppery- 

 scaled above, silvery white below ; pleurae silvery-white-scaled ; mesonotal scales 

 bright metallic green ; scutellar scales coppery, a few whitish ones at the sides. Abdo- 

 men : First tergite bluish green in the middle, shining creamy white at the sides ; 

 remaining tergites deep blue, with basal lateral creamy spots. A few 3/ellow hairs at 

 the sides of tergites 6 and 7, not forming definite tufts. Venter golden, with a narrow 

 median purple line ; eighth sternite purple. Legs purple-scaled ; femora golden 

 beneath and towards the base ; first joint of all tarsi with a narrow indistinct pale 

 ring near the base (joints 3-5 of hind tarsi denuded). First hind tarsal joint without 

 dense bristles beneath. Wings with the cross-veins nearly in a line, the m-cu cross- 

 vein somewhat oblique outwardly. Hypopygium : Ninth tergite strongly emarginate 

 apically, narrowun the middle, with well-developed hairy lobes, each bearing 10-15 

 hairs. Ninth sternite bare. Side-pieces tapering, hardly more than twice as long as 

 their width at the base. Basal lobes with three strong bristles, one weaker than the 

 others. Tenth sternites stout, blackened and somewhat enlarged apically. Claspers 

 as long as the side-pieces, slightly tapering at the tip, terminal spine long, strong, 

 pointed. Mesosome with the lower bridge very narrow, basal ; lobes rather slender, 

 smooth above. 



India: Pashok, Darjiling district, 2,000ft., E. Himalayas, 26.v.-14.vi.l916 

 (F. H. Gravely), 1 ^. 



Type in the Indian Museum. 



Resembles T. metallicus, Lin., differing in the darker upper side of the palpi, coppery 

 rather than purple scales on upper part of prothoracic lobes and pro-epimera ; presence 

 of pale rings on first tarsal joints, and more emarginate ninth tergite. 



Opifex fuscus, Hutton. 



This species was originally described from New Zealand by Hutton (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., xxxiv, p. 188, 1902) as a Tipulid, and its true position has not till now been recog- 

 nised. Recently a number of specimens have been presented to the British 

 Museum by Mr. G. V. Hudson, taken on the ocean beach at Wellington, N.Z. 



The insect is a Culicine mosquito, presenting many remarkable features ; though its 

 peculiarities seem to be mainly connected with sex, it certainly cannot be placed in 

 any previously known genus of Culicidae, and it is difficult to place it preciseh- in 

 relation to the other genera of the Culicini. It seems to be nearer to Ae'des than 

 to Culex. The following are the most striking features : — 



Male. — Antennae rather stout, not plumose, the terminal joints not lengthened ; 

 the first joint conspicuously hairy ; the third, fourth and fifth joints a little shorter 

 than those which follow, and each bearing a strong spine at the base on the upper side, 

 the spine on the fifth joint very long. Proboscis and palpi strongly curved ; the palpi 

 two-thirds as long as the proboscis, the last joint forming a club. The head has no 

 upright scales, these being replaced by hairs. Eyes well separated. Abdomen in 

 several specimens curled under the thorax. H3'popygium with the side-pieces 

 simple, broad at the base, pointed at the tips, a membranous strip along the inside 

 from base to tip ; clasper subapical, short, with strong terminal claw and sub-basal 

 projection ; anal segment well developed, tenth tergites hairy, tenth sternites each 

 ending in a single strong sharp point ; aedeagus of simple structure, resembling that 



