ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LARVAL CHARACTERS IN 
THE CLASSIFICATION OF MOSQUITOES. 
is collaboration with Stephens, I described, in a previous publication,’ the 
ovum and larva of most of the common Anopheles mosquitoes of India. 
We gave at that time a division of Anopheles into natural groups, largely based 
upon variations in the immature stages. The groups noted by us, so faras 
the species investigated were concerned, were practically identical with the 
genera which Theobald instituted later upon variations in the scale structure of 
the adult insects; but greater prominence was given to some of these genera, 
by a consideration of the immature stages, than was apparent from the scale 
structure of the adults alone. 
Of the immature stages of mosquitoes other than Anopheles, we unfortunately 
know very little. The larva of Anopheles and that of Culex were described by 
Meinert in 1886." Howard’s® description of the larva of C. pungens is accurate 
and detailed. James® has described and figured the larva of Stegomyia, and 
was the first to draw attention to the occurrence of cannibal larve.4 The 
larvee of species of Megarhinus, Toxorhynchites, Desvoidea, Theobaldia, Mela- 
noconion, Grabhamia, Acartomyia, and Detnocerites have been to some extent 
described by Theobald,® who also figures parts of C. fatigans, C. tigripes, and 
C. mimeticus. In very few of these descriptions, unfortunately, have the points 
which appear to be of most use in classification been noted. In many cases, indeed, 
only characters common to nearly all mosquito larvae have been given. 
Before proceeding to describe what has been determined regarding the larval 
characters of a number of genera of culicidz other than anopheles, it will be 
well to briefly mention features which appear to be common to all larve, and to 
single out those which, in my researches, I have found to vary in the different 
genera or species. 
PD; 
All mosquito larvz possess a head, an enlarged thorax, and nine abdominal 
segments. 
The Head.—The size and shape of the head vary in the different genera. 
It is large in Culex and Melanoconion, smaller in Anopheles, Stegomyia, and 
Tentcrhynchus. 
Nore.—Mr. Theobald has kindly identified the species of mosquitoes mentioned in this paper from: 
specimens of the adults which I have sent to him. 
B 
