18 
red in colour, very large and voracious, devouring other mosquito 
larvae found in similar situations, e.g., those of Scutomyia noto- 
scripta and Culex occidentalis ; they are to be found occasionally 
in water-butts about habitations, situated near jungles or scrubs ; 
I have obtained them in scrubs by hanging up or nailing to trees 
large jam tins filled with water and rotten leaves ; the eggs are 
laid singly. 
MUCIDUS.— Theobald (1901). 
Head clothed with narrow-curved, forked upright, and long 
twisted scales. Thorax with narrow-curved scales and long twisted 
apically expanded scales as on the head. Abdomen with dense 
scales, which stand out, and give it a ragged appearance. Wings 
covered with broad pyriform scales, many of which are parti- 
coloured. Palpi of the female half as long as the proboscis ; 
antenna? oi the female fourteen- jointed including the basal 
joint ; of the male fifteen- jointed ; palpi of the male five-jointed, 
a little longer than the proboscis. Wings with the venation much 
as in Culex, but the posterior cross-vein is nearer the apex of the 
wing than the mid cross- vein. Legs banded, densely scaled with 
projecting scales ; fore and mid ungues of the male unequal, the 
larger with two, the smaller with one tooth ; hind ungues equal, 
small, toothed ; in the female all the ungues are small, equal, 
thick, and with a short thick tooth. 
The members of this genus are large species, and present a 
curious mouldy appearance. 
MUCTDUS ALTERNANS. — WestWOOd (1835). 
$ . Head brown, with a patch of white scales in the middle 
and on each side, a pure white edge to the eyes, ochraceous 
scales between the white patches, and two tufts of yellow hairs 
projecting forwards ; eyes black, purple in some lights ; antennae 
ochraceous, bases at the joints dark, basal joint bright ferruginous, 
with a few white scales, verticillate hairs brown ; proboscis broad, 
bright ochraceous yellow, with numerous black scales at the tip 
and others at the base ; palpi covered with parti-coloured 
ochraceous and deep purple scales and pure white ones, the dark 
colour predominating at the basal parts, the yellow in the middle, 
and the white scales at the tip. Thorax densely clothed with 
yellowish-brown, curved scales and white spots, formed by groups 
of pure white scales, longer and broader than the rest, a median 
and two lateral rows of bristles, and numerous dark bristles at 
the sides, the white spots are as follows : three in front against 
the head, three very clear ones in the middle, and broken masses 
of white scales at the sides, and another small patch just in front 
of the scutellum ; scutellum ochraceous brown, with white scales ; 
metanotum brown ; pleurae darker brown, with numerous white 
scales. Abdomen deep purplish-black to brilliant purple, depen- 
ding on the light, covered with bright ochraceous yellow, white and 
