[ 4 § ] 
Sub-Family MEG ARHININ AE.— Theobald. 
Characters .—Large brilliantly-coloured mosquitoes with curved prc 
boscis. Palpi in the male always long, acuminate and 4-5 jointed. Hea 
clad entirely with large spatulate scales and upright forked scales confine 
to the nape. Thorax with fusiform, elliptical and spatulate scale' 
Scutellum with spatulate scales only. Larvae carnivorous usually feedin 
on the larvae of other mosquitoes. Eggs laid singly with hard she 
and acuminate ends. 
Remarks .—In Vol. III. monograph of “The Culicidae of the World. 
F. V. Theobald, 1903, this sub-family contains two genera Megarhini 
and Toxorhynchites. In the “Genera Insectorum ” 26 me fascicuh 
1905, the genus Toxorhynchites has been removed from the sub-famil 
Megarhininae and placed in a new sub-family Toxorhynchitina 
containing the one genus Toxorhynchites. The sub-family Megaihinina 
now contains only those species in which the female palpi are nearly a 
long as the proboscis and the new sub-family Toxorhynchitinae contain 
all the species formerly in the sub-family Megarhininae in which th 
female palpi are less than half the length of the proboscis. Th 
division Megarhininae into two sub-families seems in accordanc 
with the general scheme of ' classification used by Theobald, but I hav 
not followed it as I do not think the character upon which the suf 
division is founded of more than generic value. It is true the four gres 
sub-families of the Culicidae are founded on differences in the length c 
the palpi in different species in male and female, but it is not a nature 
subdivision but one merely of convenience for no one can doubt 
classification which places such allied genera as Culex and Mehanoconioi 
and Aedes in different sub-families is arbitrary. It seems to me nothin 
is to be gained by a further subdivision especially as Theobald 
Toxorhynchitinas contains species with palpal differences as great a 
those between his Megarhininae and Toxorhynchitinae. I have therefoi 
retained the sub-family but have created a new genus to receive thos 
species which come neither into Megarhinus or Toxorhynchites. 
Synoptic Table of Genera. 
(a.) Palpi in the female long, nearly as long as these in 
the male. Caudal tuft present..*, . *Genus 1. — Megarhinus. 
(b.) Palpi in the female less than \ the length of the 
proboscis, 5-jointed. Caudal tuft usually present. 
Mosquitoes of heavy build and densely scaled .... 
Genus 2.—Teromyia. 
( c .) Palpi in the female not more than a quarter the 
length of the proboscis, 4-jointed and slender. 
Caudal tuft absent. Mosquitoes of lighter build 
than those of the preceding genus.. Genus 3.— Toxorhynchites. 
