DEINOCERITES MELANOPHYLTJM 207 



about one-seventh as long as proboscis. Coloration as in the female. Wings 

 much as in the female, slightly narrower, the stems of the fork-cells about the 

 same. Abdomen subcylindrical, somewhat enlarged apieally, more hairy than in 

 the female. Claw formula, 1.1-1.1-0.0. 



Length : Body about 4.5 mm. ; wing 3.5 mm. 



Genitalia (plate 8, fig. 50) : Side-pieces over twice as long as wide, stout, a 

 rounded, conical, apical lobe on the inner angle, bearing fine setae ; a notch at 

 middle of inner margin bearing two very stout blunt teeth and a stout spine 

 within a rounded prominence. Clasp segment small, stout, and chitinized like 

 the side-pieces, constricted near base, swollen apieally, and bearing two equal 

 terminal claws in an apical notch, outer aspect densely clothed with fine hairs. 

 Harpes broad, rounded, outer margin furnished with a row of about fourteen 

 stout, fine even teeth. Harpagones divided into three portions, middle one with 

 a row of long teeth within, surrounding the middle portion, which has the tips 

 pointed and curved inward, not as long as the harpes ; outer portion very long, 

 broad, tip rounded, reaching nearly to lateral teeth of side-piece, smooth. 



Larva, Stage IV (plate 95, fig. 310). — Head rounded, an angular, laterally 

 projecting lobe beneath to cover the prolongation of mandible ; antennae rather 

 long and slender, uniform, a small hair-tuft at middle; upper head-hairs in 

 fours, lower long and single, ante-antennal tuft multiple. Lateral abdominal 

 hairs in fours on first segment, in twos on second to fifth, single on sixth ; lateral 

 comb of eighth segment of many spines in a large triangular patch. Air-tube 

 five times as long as wide, slightly tapering outwardly ; pecten of five to seven 

 teeth sparsely set, reaching nearly over basal half of tube, a two-haired tuft 

 beyond, a small hair towards apex and another on dorsal aspect. Anal segment 

 longer than wide, a rounded, illy defined dorsal plate, finely spinose on its lower 

 posterior half ; a small ventral plate; dorsal tuft of a long hair and multiple tuft 

 on each side ; lateral hair small, single ; ventral brush on a raised barred area, 

 bordered laterally by a narrow plate. Anal gills two, very short and rounded. 



The larvae live in the water in crab-holes along the shore, and the adults rest 

 in the upper parts of the holes. Mr. Busck says : " Hole in mangrove swamp 

 dug out after many vain efforts. It was about three feet deep. The adults were 

 clinging in masses in the hole." Mr. Busck, who has had many opportunities 

 to observe Deinocerites in the "West Indies, has found that the species swarms in 

 the morning twilight as well as in the evening. As with other mosquitoes, the 

 swarming indicates the time of sexual activity and Mr. Busck has frequently 

 noted copulation at such times. He is quite positive that the species does not 

 molest man. In Trinidad numerous crab-holes, each with a swarm of Deino- 

 cerites, are found in the immediate vicinity of the houses — often within a few 

 feet. Still, these mosquitoes never enter the house, nor is anyone ever bitten by 

 them. Perhaps the larvae even serve a useful purpose in preventing the water in 

 the crab-holes from becoming offensive. 



Trinidad and Martinique, West Indies. 



Cedros, Trinidad, June, 1905 (A. Busck) ; Fort de France, Martinique, July, 

 1905 (A. Busck). 



The specimens reported by Theobald (Mon. Culic, iii, 379, 1903) from 

 British Guiana probably belong to this species, although referred to Deino- 

 cerites cancer. 



DEINOCERITES MELANOPHYLUM Dyar & Knab. 

 Deinocerites melanophylum Dyar & Knab, Joum. N. Y. Bnt. Soc, xv, 200, 1907. 

 Deinocerites melanophylum Busck, Smiths. Misc. Colls., quart, iss., Iii, 60, 1908. 



Obioinal Descebption of Deinoceeites melanophtlum: 



A local race of Deinocerites cancer Theobald, differing by its very dark, almost 

 black color; the clypeus and tori, which in the type form are yellow or yellowish 

 brown, are here dark brown; the mesonotum is pitchy brown, the scales black 



