﻿36.— 
  NOTE 
  ON 
  THE 
  LIFE-HISTORY 
  OF 
  GULICOIDES 
  OXYS- 
  

   TOMA, 
  WITH 
  SOME 
  REMARKS 
  ON 
  THE 
  EARLY 
  STAGES 
  

   OF 
  CERATOPOGON. 
  

  

  (Plate 
  XLVII). 
  

   By 
  P. 
  G. 
  Patel. 
  

  

  The 
  Ceratopogoninse 
  are, 
  except 
  the 
  sand 
  flies 
  (Phlebotomus), 
  the 
  

   smallest 
  of 
  all 
  blood-sucking 
  Diptera. 
  From 
  the 
  latter 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  

   readily 
  distinguished 
  by 
  their 
  habit 
  of 
  carrying 
  the 
  wings 
  flat 
  on 
  the 
  

   abdomen, 
  whereas 
  Phlebotomus 
  rests 
  with 
  the 
  wings 
  characteristically 
  

   raised. 
  Further, 
  on 
  being 
  disturbed, 
  Phlebotomus 
  indulges 
  only 
  in 
  short 
  

   flights, 
  whereas 
  Ceratopogoninse 
  take 
  to 
  wing 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  fashion. 
  

  

  Several 
  genera 
  of 
  Ceratopogoninse 
  are 
  known 
  from 
  India. 
  Of 
  these 
  

   Culicoides 
  and 
  Ceratopogon 
  (to 
  a 
  lesser 
  extent) 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  

   as 
  regards 
  their 
  attacks 
  on 
  vertebrates. 
  Such 
  flies 
  are 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  

   vernacular 
  as 
  " 
  Machhri 
  " 
  (Bombay) 
  and 
  " 
  Eutki 
  " 
  (Assam 
  and 
  Bengal). 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  naked 
  eye 
  the 
  flies 
  of 
  these 
  genera 
  appear 
  as 
  minute 
  black 
  

   or 
  brown 
  coloured 
  insects 
  which 
  on 
  closer 
  observation 
  with 
  the 
  help 
  

   of 
  a 
  lens 
  are 
  seen 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  slender 
  long 
  antennse, 
  biting 
  proboscis 
  

   projected 
  vertically 
  and 
  with 
  palpi 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  proboscis. 
  The 
  wings 
  

   in 
  repose 
  are 
  seen 
  well 
  projected 
  beyond 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  folded 
  

   one 
  above 
  the 
  other 
  like 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  scissors. 
  Wings 
  are 
  often 
  clad 
  with 
  

   minute 
  hairs 
  or 
  spotted 
  with 
  brown 
  or 
  yellowish 
  markings. 
  

  

  Culicoides 
  and 
  Cemtopogon 
  are 
  so 
  similar 
  in 
  appearance 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   often 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  distinguish 
  them. 
  Noticeable 
  points 
  of 
  difference 
  

   between 
  the 
  flies 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  genera 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  (1) 
  In 
  Culicoides 
  the 
  legs 
  are 
  sharply 
  accuminate 
  and 
  in 
  Ceratapo- 
  

  

  gon 
  they 
  are 
  comparatively 
  thicker. 
  

  

  (2) 
  The 
  antennae 
  also 
  afford 
  a 
  good 
  clue 
  in 
  certain 
  cases. 
  As 
  a 
  

  

  rule 
  antennse 
  in 
  Ceratopogon 
  are 
  comparatively 
  shorter 
  and 
  

   the 
  first 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  antennal 
  joints 
  are 
  globular 
  while 
  

   in 
  some 
  cases 
  of 
  Culicoides 
  seen 
  by 
  me 
  the 
  antennae 
  are 
  

   comparatively 
  more 
  slender 
  and 
  longer 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  seven 
  

   or 
  eight 
  joints 
  are 
  sub 
  -globular 
  or 
  oblong, 
  specially 
  in 
  females. 
  

  

  (3) 
  Meta-tarsal 
  joints 
  are 
  often 
  equal 
  or 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  second 
  

  

  tarsal 
  joint 
  in 
  Ceratopogon, 
  while 
  in 
  Culicoides 
  they 
  are 
  

   always 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  second 
  joint. 
  

   Apart 
  from 
  these 
  external 
  features 
  flies 
  of 
  both 
  these 
  genera 
  have 
  

   their 
  own 
  breeding 
  and 
  biting 
  habits. 
  All 
  the 
  known 
  species 
  of 
  Culi^ 
  

  

  ( 
  272 
  ) 
  

  

  