CULICINAE : CLASSIFICATION 



205 



Shaft of antenna without hair-tuft ; plumose hairs present 

 in middle of thorax in front . ... .; 



2. Rudimentary palmate hairs on thorax . . . _. 

 Palmate hairs o'f thorax altogether wanting . . . 



3. External anterior frontal hair much branched, forming a 



pronounced tuft 



External anterior frontal hair simple or slightly branched . 



4. Posterior and internal anterior frontal hairs simple . 

 Posterior and internal anterior frontal hairs branched 



5. Dark brown ; filaments of palmate hairs longer . 

 Light brown ; filaments of palmate hairs shorter 



6. Median thoracic hairs overlapping occiput rudimentary 

 Median thoracic hairs overlapping occiput well developed . 



7. Internal anterior frontal hair branched .... 

 Internal anterior frontal hair simple ..... 



8. Palmate hair on second abdominal segment fully develop- 



ed, the leaflets with a distinct shoulder ; filaments of all 

 palmate hairs about one- third as long as the whole leaflet. 

 Leaflets of palmate hair on second abdominal segment 

 without shoulder ; filaments of all other palmate hairs 

 under one-quarter as long as the whole leaflet 



9. Hair at tip of antennae between the two spines split into 



two , 



Hair at tip of antennae split into three .... 



10- Palmate hair on second abdominal segment well developed. 



Palmate hair on second abdominal segment rudimentary . 



squatnosus ; 

 pharoensis. 



funestus. 



natalensis. 



ardensis. 



maculipennis 



costalis. 



jacobi. 

 cinereus. 



pretoriensis. 

 rufipes. 



10 



As has already been pointed out, Theobald places the mosquitoes 

 in a separate family the Culicidae, which he divides it into ten subfamilies. 



The classification adopted by him and his followers 



. , . . . *. Classification of 



has not, however, met with universal approval. Willis- the g u |j c j nae 



ton, one of the foremost systematic dipterologists, 

 points out that nearly all the present-day culicidologists appear to have 

 a limited knowledge of related Diptera, and as a result have disregarded 

 broad zoological relationships and have erected subfamilies and genera 

 on characters of minor value. He instances the subfamily Hep- 

 taphlebomyinae, which is erected on the single character of the 

 presence of scales on the seventh longitudinal vien. He considers that 

 scale characters are artificial, and that although they may be useful 

 in separating the higher groups, they are of little use in splitting up 

 genera ; it is here that they are apt to be overrated. Williston's paper 

 on the Classification of the Culicidae, and his remarks on the same 

 subject in his volume on North American Diptera, should be read -by 

 all interested in the subject. .... :. . 



_.:The following table, which gives the "chief characters of the Culicidae, 

 is.takenfrom.:Y>lorae LV-of the Culicidae of the World. :.:... v 



