68 MOSQUITOES OF NOKTH AMERICA 



WYEOMYIA FRATERCULA Dyar & Knab. 



Wyeomyia fratercula Dyar & Knab, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xix, 139, 1906. 

 Wyeomyia fratercula Theobald, Men. Culic, v, 624, 1910. 



Obiginal Descbiption op Wyeomyia fbateecula: 



Prothoracic lobes silvery white; head black behind, a square, diagonally placed, 

 ■white spot on the vertex, the sides below also white; front tibiae above bronzy with 

 only a slight blue reflection. 



One specimen, Martinique, W. I., July (A. Busck). 



Type. — Cat. No. 9995, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



Descbiption of Femau; of Wyeomyia fbateecula (Male and Labva Unknown) : 



Female. — Proboscis moderate, swollen apically, labellae small, rounded, with 

 fine outstanding setse ; vestiture bronzy-black. Palpi short, flattened, one-eighth 

 as long as proboscis, bronzy-black. Antennae moderate, the joints slender, sub- 

 equal, rugose, coarsely pilose, black; tori subspherical, with a cup-shaped 

 apical excavation, yellowish, with a silvery- white pruinosity; hairs of whorls 

 long, rather sparse, black. Clypeus rounded, convex, brownish, pruinose. Eyes 

 separated at vertex by a rather broad wedge, bluish black. Occiput clothed with 

 flat, brown scales, with a blue metallic reflection, a silvery-white spot at vertex, 

 a patch below running up shortly along eye margin; a row of setse along margin 

 of eyes. 



Prothoracic lobes elliptical, remote dorsally, clothed with flat scales, silvery- 

 white; a row of setae along anterior margin. Mesonotum clothed with elliptical, 

 flat, light-brown scales with submetallic reflection; scales on anterior margin 

 and lateral angles whitish. Scutellum trilobate, with vestiture similar to and 

 continuous with that of mesonotum, each lobe with a small tuft of black 

 bristles. Postnotum elliptical, promiment, with a low, broad, median carina, 

 brown, a group of small setae near the posterior margin. Pleurae dark-brown, 

 coxae luteous, clothed with elliptical, flat, silvery-white scales. 



Abdomen subcylindrical, compressed, truncate at tip, with many long, dark- 

 brown terminal setae; dorsal vestiture black, with a slight bronzy and blue 

 reflection ; venter yellowish white, the colors separated at the sides in a straight 

 line, the scales along median line suberect. 



Wings moderate, hyaline ; petiole of second marginal cell one-third as long 

 as its cell ; that of second posterior cell shorter than its cell ; basal cross-vein 

 distant less than its own length from the anterior cross-vein ; outstanding scales 

 of veins long, ligulate, black, with bronzy reflection on costa, denser and 

 broader apically. Halteres whitish, with black knobs. 



Legs rather long, slender, black, with a bronzy and blue reflection ; femora 

 whitish beneath; tibiae and tarsi with a brassy luster beneath; mid legs with 

 outer half of second and all of last three joints silvery-white beneath; hind 

 legs, with basal half of first tarsal joint white beneath, the others with a broad 

 white basal mark beneath. Claw formula, 0.0-0.0-0.0. 



Length : Body about 3.5 mm. ; wing 3.5 mm. 



The larva was obtained by Mr. Busck in water in an angle of the iron support 

 of the roof of an old deserted sugar-mill. The species is probably addicted to 

 Bromeliaceae, but in this case the convenient corner of the iron-work, well above 

 the ground and no doubt filled with dead leaves and insects, furnished a passable 

 substitute. 



Martinique, French West Indies. 



Near Port de France, larvae in water in iron-work of an old mill, Julv 34, 

 1905 (A. Busck). •' 



The single type specimen before us is the only specimen known. 



