246 



By examining the larva on a slide withoiat a 

 coverglass,the main characters may be noted with- 

 out in any way damaging the larva, which later 

 becomes a nymph and eventually an imago. As 

 a rule, however, many specimens of the same 

 species are found together. By a preliminary 

 examination,..larvae shewing the same characters 

 may be sorted out, and some specimens afterwards • 

 mounted and subjected to a more detailed exami- 

 nation, whilst the rest are allowed to hatch out 

 in due course. 



The characteristics of the larvae which are 

 of specific importance are, as we have seen — 



1. The antennae. 



2. The clypeai hairs. 



3. The leaflets of the palmate hairs. 



4. The segments carrying palmate hairs. 



By means of these characters most species of 

 Anopheline larvae can be identified. So far as 

 Indian Anophelines are concerned, the following 

 characters hold good : — 



Type I. — Larvae with the external pair of 

 clypeai hairs converted into a cockade- like tuft 

 (Fig. 56). 



Species having larvae of this type are— 

 M. barbirostris 

 M. sinensis, sub-sp. nigerrimus 



Larvae of this type also have a large branched 

 hair upon the antenna, and the leaflets of the 

 palmate hairs differ markedly from all other 

 larvae (Fig. 57B). 



Type 2. — Larvae with the external frontal 



