180 MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 



Thorax covered -with hairs. Abdomen with eight segments, narrow and 

 thickly furnished with hairs. Male genitalia (Plate XVII, fig. 4) consist- 

 ing of three appendages (see page 86). Female organs indistinct, forming 

 superior and inferior leaf -like appendages, which are covered with hairs ; 

 a true ovipositor is wanting. The second longitudinal vein is forked 

 twice, once about the middle of the wing, and a second time at the outer 

 third ; the first branch is spoken of in the above key to the genera 

 as a simple longitudinal v~;n, which, with the third, lies between the 

 forked veins. 



Newstead gives the following key to the Maltese species : 



A. Abdominal hairs recumbent. 



(a) Integument black. Large species. Palpi with second 



segment longer than the third nigerrimus. 



(b) Integument ochreous. Small species. Palpi with second 



segment one-half the length of the third .... minutus. 



B. Abdominal hairs more or less erect. 



(a) Legs in both sexes relatively short, average length of hind 



leg, 3 mm. Terminal segment of superior clasper of 



male scarcely half as long as the inferior clasper . . pernlciosus. 



(b) Legs in both sexes relatively long ; average length of hind 



leg, 4 mm. ; terminal segment of superior clasper of males 



slightly longer than the inferior clasper .... papatasi. 



Phlebotomus nigerrimus, Newstead. A black or brownish black species 

 closely allied to P. papatasi, but with the hind margin of the wing 

 strongly arched, and the sixth longitudinal vein short, ending about the 

 centre of the hind margin of the wing. It is a rare species and only 

 occurs in certain parts of Malta (Gozo) ; the male is unknown. 



Phlebotomus minutus, Rondani. A dull golden ochreous species of small 

 size (1.5 to 2 mm.). The second palpal segment is about one-half the 

 length of the third ; fourth segment shorter than the third ; fifth segment 

 long and slender. The third antennal segment is relatively short ; the 

 hairs on the abdomen are recumbent. It is very active in captivity, leap- 

 ing about, and whirling round, and according to Newstead it can be 

 distinguished from all the other Maltese species by this habit alone. 

 Marett states that it breeds in the rubble walls, bastions, and ground 

 ventilators in Malta. 



Phlebotomus perniciosus, Newstead. A somewhat dark species with or 

 without a reddish brown spot on the thorax ; it is smaller than papatasi 

 with which it may be confused. Its legs are also shorter, and the male 

 genitalia are smaller. The female is darker than that of papatasi. It is 

 widely distributed in Malta, and is very common during July, August, and 



