226 F. W. EDWARDS. 



Culex rima, Theo. 



I endeavoured to distinguish this from C. insignis, Carter, by the absence of 

 distinct apical white bands on the abdominal segments. However the type of 

 C. rima has traces of these bands, and there is no doubt that they are normally present 

 in this species, though occasional specimens are found without them. C. insignis 

 may therefore be synonymous with C. rima, though there are slight differences in the 

 male genitalia between specimens from West Africa and from Uganda, from which 

 latter country C. insignis was described. I do not consider that these differences 

 are of greater than varietal significance. 



Subgenus Lophoceratomyia, Theo. 



This group can be distinguished from Culex proper by the peculiar hair- or scale- 

 tufts on the male antennae, and also by the scanty scaling of the wings in both sexes, 

 due to the practical absence of the lateral series of scales except towards the tip of 

 the wing. In the least specialised species, such as L. JiewitH and L. minutissima,. 

 only the ninth joint of the male antennae bears a long pencil of matted hairs on the 

 inner side, pointing obliquely downwards ; the more typical species however have 

 variously formed scale-tufts on the sixth, seventh, eighth and tenth joints as well. 

 The larvae of three species {L. uniforniis, L. mammilifer and L. minor) have been 

 received at the British Museum ; there seems to be nothing to distinguish them 

 generically from Culex. The siphon is long and thin and the comb on the eighth 

 segment is in the form of a triangular patch. 



The group has hitherto been recorded only from the Oriental region, but, as indicated 

 below, two Australian species described by Theobald under Culex really belong here, 

 and it is possible that some of Taylor's recently described species do also. The 

 following is an attempt to tabulate the Oriental species. The table necessarily applies 

 chiefly to the males, as it is often almost impossible even by comparison of specimens 

 to determine females alone. 



1. Basal joint of male antennae simple ; species often reddish-tinged . . 2 

 Basal joint of male antennae with a blunt prominence on the inner side ; blackish 



species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 



2. Sixth to eighth joints of male antennae without scale-tufts ; abdomen banded 



minutissima (Theo.). 

 Sixth to eighth joints of male antennae with scale-tufts . . . . . . 3 



3. Scales on sixth joint almost hairlike, only visible in certain positions . . 4 

 Scale-tuft on sixth joint obvious, the scales much broader . 



4. Smaller, blackish species . . 

 Larger, reddish species . . 



5. Scale-tuft on sixth joint very large, the lower scales white . 

 Scale-tuft on sixth joint smaller, the scales all dark . . 



G. Abdomen unhanded 



Abdomen banded 

 7. Sixth to eighth joints of male antennae without scale-tufts. 



Sixth to eighth joints of male antennae with scale-tufts . . . . . . 9' 



nigra, Leic. 



ruhithoracis, Leic. 



fraudatrix, Theo. 



.. 6 



harkeri (Theo.). 



taeniata, Leic. 



