CHAPTER III 



Order Diptera (^continued): The Nematocera. Blood- 

 sucking Nematocera: Culicidse 



With few exceptions the Nematocera are midge-like flies, 

 with filamentous antennae and slender maxillary palps, both 

 antennae and slender maxillary palps commonly being of 

 considerable length ; the 3rd longitudinal vein is rarely 

 forked. 



Williston, whose standard work on North American 

 Diptera is followed here, accepts twelve families of Nemato- 

 cera. The majority of the species (the Bibionida, Simuliid<B, 

 and Orphnephilidce furnish the most notable exceptions) are 

 more or less midge-like in form, having the body and legs 

 long and slender, and usually having long, many-segmented 

 antennae which often carry whorls of hairs. 



Synopsis of the Families of Nematocera. 



(-Body and wings thickly covered with hair like a moth 



1. -j = PsychodidcE. 

 (.Flies not resembling moths = 2. 

 rWings with a network of fine vein-like creases besides the ordinary 



2. \ veins = Blepharoceridce. 

 I Wings without any additional network of vein-like creases = 3- 



Scutum usually with a V-shaped transverse suture ; wings usually 

 with a discal cell = Tipulidce. 



IScutum without a transverse suture = 4. 



/Wings with a discal cell = Rhyphida. 



IWings without a discal cell = 5. 



rAntennee abnormal, apparently consisting of 2 segments and a 

 \ terminal arista = Orphnephilidce. 



lAntennae normally nematocerous = 6. 



I Posterior edge of wing fringed with scales = Culicidce. 



\ Posterior edge of wing not fringed with scales = 7 



40 



{ 



