357 



EIGHT NEW MOSQUITOS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM COLLECTION. 



By F. W. Edwards, B.A., F.E.S. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Ochlerotatus oreophilus, sp. n. 



5. Head : sides clothed with flat white scales, interrupted by a rather narrow 

 horizontal band of flat black ones ; two large patches of flat black scales on the top, 

 separated by a rather narrow band of narrow white scales extending from the nape on 

 to the front ; a narrow line of narrow white scales bordering the upper part of the eyes. 

 Eyes well separated. Proboscis and palpi black. First antennal joint blackish, grey- 

 pruinose. Thorax : integument blackish, except for the reddish scutellum and a 

 small pale spot on each side at the base of the postnotum. Prothoracic lobes and the 

 space behind them clothed with flat white scales. Scutum clothed with narrow 

 yellowish- white and blackish scales, the former arranged in definite narrow lines as 

 follows : a median line extending from the front margin to a little in front of the 

 scutellum, where it forks into two ; a line on each side of this extending the whole 

 length of the scutum, enlarged a little in front of the middle and sending a branch 

 obliquely forwards from this point to the lateral angle of the thorax ; and another 

 line forming a border to the scutum. Scutellum with narrow scales, mostly yellowish- 

 white, but some black ones on each side of the middle lobe. Pleurae with several 

 patches of flat white scales. Abdomefi black, above with conspicuous pure white 

 basal lateral patches and traces of yellowish- white basal bands on all the segments ; 

 venter black, all the segments with pure white basal bands. Eighth segment well- 

 developed, only partly retractile ; cerci short, rather broad and rounded at the tip. 



Legs black ; front and middle femora with a white line beneath, middle femora 

 also with a distinct white spot at the tip in front ; hind femora white with a broad 

 complete black ring a little before the apex, broadest above. Middle claws toothed, 

 hind simple (front tarsi missing). Wings with blackish scales, rather densely covered ; 

 scales of the lateral series on the apical third of the wing rather broadly linear, with 

 bluntly rounded tips. Base of upper fork-cell a little nearer the base of the wing than 

 that of the lower ; cross- veins separated by about 1 J times their own length. Halteres 

 light brown, knob with dark scales on the inner, light on the outer side. 



Length of body, 5*5 mm. ; of wing, 4*5 mm. 



N. India : Gharia, Murree Hills, W. Himalayas, 16. viii. 190. 



A single female specimen, presented to the British Museum by the Agricultural 

 Research Institute, Pusa. 



This species may be readily distinguished by the thoracic and femoral markings. 

 It belongs to a group which is rather numerously represented in Asia, especially in 

 the momitainous regions, and includes such species as 0. pseudotaeniatus, Giles, 

 0. macfarlanei, Edw., 0. japonicus, Theo., and 0. pulchriventer, Giles ; the group 

 roughly corresponds to Theobald's genera, Pseudohowardina and Hulecoetomyia, 

 and it may be possible eventually to revive one of these names for it. The nearest 

 ally of the new species is perhaps 0. pulchriventer, Giles ; it differs in the points 

 indicated. 



