TABLES OF MEGARHINUS 931 



in a location, only the strongest survives. Hibernation (where it is necessary 

 for climatic reasons) appears to take place in the last larval stage. 



The adults fly by day, as indeed their brilliant colors would seem to imply, 

 and are strictly sylvan. There is a diversity of opinion about their feeding 

 , habits and some authors state that they suck blood. Green could not induce his 

 species to bite, but James is quoted as stating that they bite severely. These 

 observations must, however, be in error, as the females are incapable of biting, 

 their mouth-parts being adapted for sucking the juices of flowers only and not 

 for piercing the skin. This is evidenced by the peculiar tapering shape of the 

 proboscis, the heavily chitinized rigid sheath and its bent condition, adapted for 

 lapping, and seen in no other mosquito. The genus was in fact originally 

 founded on this character, which, as it represents a fundamental difference in 

 habit, was therefore a good generic character. Mr. Urich has observed both 

 sexes feeding upon the nectar of flowers and informs us that these otherwise 

 rare insects can always be found when sought on flowers. 



The larvse must destroy enormous numbers of other mosquito larvae, but as 

 they attack principally species of no economic importance and are reckless and 

 wasteful in their habits by destroying each other, their value as beneficial species 

 is lessened. N"o observations have been made on the mating habits beyond the 

 fact that the males congregate upon certain bushes, apparently for sexual 

 purposes. 



Tables of the Species, 

 adults, maekinqs, and coloeation. 



1. Abdomen with latero-apical tufts 2 



Abdomen without tufts 3 



2. Abdomen with red tufts superius Dyar & Knab (p. 932) 



Abdomen with tufts whitish and black violaceus Wiedemann (p. 936) 



3. Female with the last four front tarsal joints white, grandiosa WlUiston (p. 939) 

 Female with at least the last front tarsal joint dark 4 



4. Mid and hind legs in part yellow, black at the joints; body green 



longipes Theobald (p. 939) 

 Legs black, with or without white; body metallic blue 5 



5. Male with white on front tarsi rutila Coquillett (p. 940) 



Male with no white on the front tarsi 6 



6. Male with white on one side of the mid tarsi 7 



Male with no white on the mid tarsi 9 



7. Male with white on third and fourth joints of mid tarsi and fourth joint of 



hind tarsi 8 



Male with white on second joint of mid tarsi and on fourth and fifth joints 



of hind tarsi trinidadensis Dyar & Knab (p. 943) 



8. Thorax with yellowish median and lateral stripes 



septentrionalis Dyar & Knab (p. 946) 

 Thorax with blue stripes moctezuma Dyar & Knab (p. 950) 



9. Male with no white on the legs guadeloupensis Dyar & Knab (p. 954) 



Male with white on the fourth joint of the hind tarsi 10 



10. Male with the outer side of joints 4-5 of the hind tarsi white 



hypoptes Knab (p. 956) 

 Male with the fourth joint white ringed, the fifth black 



portoricensis von Roder (p. 958) 



ADULTS, FEMAI^S ONLY. 



1 Abdomen with red apical tufts superius Dyar & Knab (p. 932) 



Abdomen with tufts mostly black violaceus Wiedemann (p. 936) 



Abdomen without tuf tings 2 



2. All the tarsi white-marked .3 



Mid and hind tarsi white-marked guadeloupensis Dyar & Knab (p. 954) 



Hind tarsi only white-marked portoricensis von Roder (p. 958) 



3. Joints 2, 3 of front and mid tarsi white-marked 4 



Joints 2, 3, 4 of front and mid tarsi white-marked 6 



Joints 2, 3, 4, 5 of front and mid tarsi white-marked, grandiosa WilUston (p. 939) 



