AMERICAN DIPTERA. 47 



Descriptiou of a new species of CITLICID^. 

 BY R. OSTEN SACKEN. 



Although averse to the publication of single new species, I allow 

 myself an exception for a new and apparently rare insect belonging to 

 an equally rare genus, and which affords, for this reason, a valuable 

 addition to the North American fauna. 



The insects commonly known under the name of mosquitoes, and 

 distinguished by their long proboscis, stinging In the female sex, harm- 

 less in the male, are represented in our latitudes by three principal 

 genera. 



Auophclcs, with a pair of palpi as long as the proboscis in both sexes. 



Culex, with the palpi long in the male, short in the female sex. 



Aedes, with the palpi short in both sexes. 



The genus Cakx is by far the most numerous in species. I possess 

 fifteen or twenty North American species in my collection. About 

 thirty European species have been described, many of which, however, 

 are probably synonyms. Anopheles comes next; four European species 

 are known, and I possess three from North America. Of the genus 

 Aedfis only a single species is known, A. cinereus, Meigen; it occurs 

 in central Europe, and seems to be rare.* 



An American Aedes, distinguished from the Eui'opean species by 

 its beautiful metallic colors, is therefore an interesting discovery. Some 

 eight or nine years ago, I found a female specimen in Washington, D, C, 

 and last year I was fortunate enough to secure the male in Brooklyn, 

 New York. 



Aedes sapphirinus, n. sp. %, 9 . — Fusous ; froate, thoracis lineii media et pleu- 

 rarum strigis cyaneo-micantibus; pedibus nigris ; coxis, femorumque basi 

 pallida; feraorum tibiarumque extremo apice superne niveis. Long. corp. 0"13. 

 Long. al. 012 of an inch. 



Front blackish, with a metallic-blue reflection along the eyes, espe- 



* Mr. Ginmerthal described a second species, A. rufas, in the Bull, dc la Soc. 

 Jes Naiur. de Moscou, 1815 ; but it is very little known yet. 



