part 2] 



MOSQUITOES IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



145 



Thorax. — This shows no striking peculiarities. In shape it 

 appeal's to resemble closely that of modern Culicine mosquitoes. 



Male abdomen.' — Rather short and plump, the eighth segment 

 reduced as in recent mosquitoes, short and broad, the hypopygium 

 large. The form of the hypopygium looks rather different in the 

 various specimens ; but this probably is merely due to the manner 

 of preservation, and to different portions being shown in different 

 examples. There are a dozen or more specimens which show the 

 organ fairly well. The side-pieces are very stout, less than twice 

 as long as their breadth at the base, and apparently provided with 

 large basal lobes ; the apex also is quite broad (not at all pointed),.. 



Fig. 2. — Aedes protolepis (Cockerel!). 



a, tip of abdomen of $ , H. 468, X 30 : side view, 7t, seventh tergite ; 7 s 

 & 8 s, seventh and eighth sternites. A part of one of the cerci (apparently) 

 is detached, b, tip of abdomen of $ , I. 17148, X 50: showing the seventh 

 and eighth segments and pointed cerci in dorsal view, c, loose wing, I. 9754, 

 X 14 : wing-scales remarkably well preserved. 



although it does not seem that a definite apical lobe is present. The 

 claspers are well developed, articulated at the outer apical corner 

 of the side-piece, and curved inwards somewhat. They evidently 

 were very strongly chitinized structures. In dorsal view they 

 generally appear to be of almost even breadth, if anything slightly 

 tapering towards the tip ; but in a number of specimens a careful 

 examination clearly shows that they are broadly expanded apically 

 in a vertical plane. Probably this is the case in all, but it is not 

 always apparent ; and it is possible, therefore, that there may be 

 two species in the series. The tip of the clasper in some speci- 

 mens (I. 17069, I. 9404) shows a row of several short bristles. 

 The anal and genital parts are not sufficiently well preserved to. 

 permit of their structure being made out. 



Female abdomen. — Somewhat pointed, but not conspicuously 

 so, especially when the eighth segment is retracted (as is the 

 case in several specimens : I. 20561, 1. 8996, 1. 17148, etc.). When 



