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A CUEIOUS MOSQUITO. 
By G. a. H. Bedford, F.E.S. 
(Eeceived October 30, 1913.) 
The following is a description of a specimen of Culex theileri, 
Theobald, which appears to be half a female and half a male, caught at 
Onderstepoort, near Pretoria, on September 24, 1913, in a mosquito 
trap. A very large number of mosquitoes are caught yearly in the 
mosquito traps ; of these about 99 per cent, are females. Whether this 
mosquito would have been able to suck blood or not I am not able 
to state. I fancy not, because from the 16th of September to the 
27th there were 153 specimens of C. theileri caught in the mosquito 
traps, all of which were engorged, the mosquito in question was 
unengorged. 
The mouth parts I have not examined for fear of damaging the 
specimen. 
Antennae. — Eight antenna (typical of the male) 15-jointed, plumose, 
banded with dark brown and grey. Left antenna with the plumose hairs 
not so long as in the right antenna, the basal joint is testaceous with 
a few white scales, the second joint also bears a few white scales on the 
inner side (typical of the female), also the joints are straight and not 
knobbed at one end as in the right antenna. 
Palpi. — Eight palpus (typical of the male) long, with a narrow white 
band on the first joint, a line of white scales on the venter of the 2nd 
and 3rd segments at the base and near the apex of each, the apical lines 
longer than the basal ones. Left palpus (typical of the female) short ; 
black with white scales. 
Proboscis. — Deep brown, light in the middle. 
Head (typical). — With narrow-curved creamy scales, and with dark 
brown upright-forked scales, also one or two creamy ones ; flat white 
scales at the sides, brown bristles around the eyes. 
Thorax (typical). — With narrow-curved golden scales, which become 
paler at the base and at the sides, also a few black and brown bristles. 
Pleurae. — Brown, with patches of white scales. 
