CHIRONOMID^E 



433 



a plague that the natives leave their plantations. On nearing the sphere of 

 influence of the Jinja fly the porters stop and break off branches to use as fly 

 swishes, then collect together and travel at an increased speed. The fly is 

 3 mm. long, of a general black colour, with bright deep golden hairs on the 

 thorax, and the metatarsi of the hind legs with a median pale yellow band. 



Numerous other undescribed species have been sent me from the Tropics, 

 where they are known under a variety of names, such as black-fly, brulots, 

 sand-flies, &c. 



Family Chironomidce. 



The Chironomidae or midges are not only frequently mistaken for 

 mosquitoes, but some are undoubtedly very annoying to man by biting 

 him as mosquitoes do. They are easily distinguished from true mosquitoes 

 (Culicidai) by the following characters : (i) head small, often retracted under 

 the cowl-like thorax ; (2) no scales to the wings or body and (3) the 

 different arrangement of veins on the wings (fig. 275). 



One genus only is important as annoying man, namely, Ceratopogon. 

 The larvae are either aquatic, both fresh water and marine, and help to 



FIG. 276. A Ceratopogon or Midge (greatly enlarged). 



make the former foul 1 according to Slater, or may as in Ceratopogon live 

 beneath the bark of 'trees. The pupae are very varied and also the life- 

 histories of the different genera. 2 



Genus Ceratopogon. 



Body small, pilose or bare ; head produced into a short rostrum ; 

 proboscis with fleshy labium, labrum horny ; maxillae long and horny ; 

 wings mostly mottled . The thorax is not produced as a cowl over the 

 head. Abdomen composed of eight segments, hairy. The larvae are 



1 " Entomologist," p. 89, 1879. 



- " An Account of British Flies," vol. i., Theobald, p. 172. 



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