114 ENTOMOLOGY FOR MEDICAL OFFICERS 



So far as is known none of the species is implicated in the 

 conveyance of any disease of man, and of some species it is 

 certainly known that they are reluctant to attack man at all. 



Section IV. — Metanototricha, Theobald. 



The species included in this small section are recognised 

 by their metanotum, on which there may be a few bristles, 

 or a few scales, or both bristles and scales ; most often the 

 bristles alone are present in a not very conspicuous wisp at 

 the apex of the metanotum. The head and scutellum, and 

 usually the scutum also, are covered with flat scales (squames). 

 The proportions of the palps are not constant ; sometimes 

 they are quite short in both sexes, sometimes they are short 

 in the female only. The colouring is often iridescent or 

 brightly metallic. The species are denizens of the jungle, 

 and their headquarters is in the Neotropical Region, though 

 they are represented in Tropical Africa, the Oriental Region, 

 and New Guinea. Theobald makes three subfamilies of 

 them ; but it is really very doubtful whether they should be 

 recognised as a distinct section of the subfamily Culicincg. 



