194 SIMTJLIIDjE. 



is said to occur at times in very great numbers, causing serious 

 irritation and sores on the skin of persons bitten.* The chief 

 time of appearance is the dry season (April, May and June), 

 though the insect is not uncommon in the valleys during February 

 and March. It disappears during the rainy season. Its life- 

 history is unknown. 



" The insect flies noiselessly and its bite in the first instance is 

 so painless that the creature is seldom noticed at work until its 

 vellow and black body is to some extent coloured with the blood 

 it has absorbed." (Cotes.) 



Mr. de Niceville records it as plentiful at Mussoori, Western 

 Himalayas, in the spring and that it occurs there sparingly all the 

 year round. Also in Baltistan, at an elevation of from 3000 to 

 10,000 ft., where it bites viciously. The fly attacks chiefly the 

 -ears, and to a less extent the eyes ; its bite is reputed sometimes 

 to be fatal. 



In the Western Himalayas it is called the " potu " in Hindu- 

 stani, " phisniari " in Pehari, and " phisho " in Balti. 



It may be noted here that Dr. Becher was in error in describing 

 the tibiae as possessing spurs, these not being present in the genus 

 at all ; but the hair at the end of the tibiae frequently becomes 

 matted together and actually appears at times almost exactly like 

 a thick spur. This probably led to his mistake. 



143. Sinmlium aureohirtnm, Brun. 



Simulium aureohirtum, Brunetti, Kec. Ind. Mas. iv, p. 287 (1911). 



J $ . Head : the large upper facets of the eye in the male 

 relatively smaller than in the other species, the eyes closely con- 

 tiguous from vertex to antennae. Antennae dull reddish brown, 

 varying to nearly black ; sometimes the scape and one or two 

 basal flagellar joints pale also, the remainder blackish ; occasionally 

 the whole antennae brownish yellow. Frons nearly one-third of 

 the head in female, blackish grey with, rather thick bright yellow 

 hair; face dark grey with a few yellow hairs. Proboscis arid 

 palpi blackish or dark brown. Thorax blackish, occasionally with 

 a slight dull reddish-brown tinge ; with close bright yellow hair 

 covering the whole of the dorsum ; shoulders sometimes reddish 

 brown, the colour occasionally extending narrowly along the 

 -anterior margin of the thorax. The sides blackish grey, bare. 

 Scutellum normally black, but sometimes reddish brown, always 

 with close yellow hair. Metanotum blackish. Abdomen blackish, 

 with golden-yellow hair ; in some specimens the characteristic 

 ridge on the first segment is pale on the hind margin ; the usual 



* Various methods of preventing their attacks and remedies after being 

 bitten, are detailed by Mr. de Niceville in " Indian Museum Notes," iv, no. 2, 

 p. 54. Deodar and eucalyptus oil have been recommended for keeping them 

 away. 



