THE METANOTRICHINA 219 



sometimes six, white spots ; abdomen black ; legs black with white 

 bands ; tarsi with basal white bands, the last tarsal joint of the hind 

 leg pure white. This species is widely distributed in the Ethiopian 

 region, and, like fasciata, is a domestic insect ; it commonly breeds 

 in buckets, roadside puddles, and especially in water which collects 

 in holes in rocks ; its larvae are often found in antiformicas.* It bites 

 during the day and is often a most troublesome pest. 



Stegomyia africana, Theo. Thorax black with two short intensely 

 white bands, directed upwards on the anterior border, and a white 

 spot at the base of each wing ; pleura with silvery spots. Abdomen 

 brown and unhanded with the exception of the last segment, which 

 has two metallic spots. Legs black, hind tarsi with four white bands, 

 the third broad and the fourth narrow. This species is common on 

 the West Coast of Africa. 



Stegomyia sctttellaris, Walk. Thorax black, with a median white 

 stripe. Abdomen black with white basal bands. Legs black, tarsi 

 with basal white bands, and last tarsus of hind leg pure white. A 

 common species in the Oriental Region, abounding in many of the 

 Indian ports, where it breeds in earthen pots, wooden tubs, bamboo 

 stumps, hollows in the trunks of trees, etc. 



Stegomyia pseudoscutellaris, Theo. Closely allied to scutellaris 

 but differs from it in having three white bands on the pleura, and 

 those on the abdomen confined to the sides of the segments. It is 

 said by Bahr to be the invertebrate host of Filaria bancrofti, and 

 other species of filaria, in Fiji, where it is a domestic insect. 



THE METANOTRICHINA 



Theobald divides this group into three subfamilies, according to 

 the characters of the palpi in the male and female. The metanotum 

 is clothed with either scales or bristles, and the head and scutellum 

 are covered with flat scales. All the species are found in jungles 

 and forests, and it is very doubtful whether any of them are blood- 

 suckers ; at least they do not appear to bite man. Many are large 

 brightly coloured insects, with irridescent wings. The majority are 

 found in South America. The genus Eratmapodites contains a number 

 of species from Tropical Africa. For further information the reader 

 is referred to Theobald's monograph. 



* Tins filled with water in which the legs of tables are placed in order to prevent ant3 

 from crawling up. 



