CO885-(20-21) — Page 4

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PLEC.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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projecting beyond the clypeus; two chata arising from the base of the clypeus, one on each side; proboscis brown, with long hairs along its whole length, the apical third swollen and elbowed where the swelling arises, two very long hairs near the apex and two slightly shorter, two curved hook-like hairs at extreme tip and two small flat processes, projecting forwards from beneath the apex; anténnæ dark brown.

Thorax black, with narrow-curved dark bronzy scales, a median line of metallic mauve in front composed of two rows of flat roundish scales; prothoracic lobes clothed with mauve flat scales and a small area of similar roundish flat scales on the sides above them; scutellum pale brown with dense flat roundish silvery and pale ochreous grey scales, the latter towards the base; four border-bristles to the mid lobe, two directed posterially and two laterally; three chatæ only to the lateral lobes; metanotum shiny black; pleuræ brown with patches of silvery white scales, appearing grey in some lights.

Abdomen black, unbanded; the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh segments with large apical silvery-white patches, no trace of one on the third segment; border- bristles dark; venter dark with scattered pale yellow scales.

Legs dark brown, with dull bronzy reflections, long, the apices of the femora and tibiæ rather swollen; venter of femora slightly paler; ungues all equal and simple.

Wings with the first sub-marginal cell longer and narrower than the second posterior cell, its base nearer the base of the wing, its stem a little more than half the length of the cell; stem of the second posterior slightly longer than the cell; posterior cross-vein about its own length distant from the mid. Halteres dark brown.

Length: 2 to 25 mm.

d. Two long nearly parallel black chætæ project forward between the eyes. Antennæ verticillate, very like the 9. Clypeus similarly elongated and the short palpi thin; the proboscis rather shorter, the swollen end more pronounced, with pale scales at its base, a great number of hairs just below it on one side all markedly curved at their apices; at the apex is a complicated apparatus, composed of two semi-transparent, broad acuminate lamellæ above, two distinct short fish-hook shaped hairs, a brown acuminate lamella below and similar long hairs as in the Q.

Thorax and abdomen as in the Q.

The male genitalia seem quite normal, with a long simple clasper. Wing vena- tion very similar to the female, but the fork-cells of more equal length.

Fore and mid ungues small, unequal, but simple, hind very small, equal, and simple.

Length: 3 mm.

Habitat: Obuasi.

Time of capture: 27, vi., '07, and 29, ix., '07.

Observations: Described from two 9's and one d. They were caught in the bush. The species can at once be told by the brilliant line on the mesanotum and the marked abdominal ornamentation, there being no trace of silvery spots on the third segment.

Genus DENDROMYIA, Theobald. (Mono. Culicidæ, iii., p. 313, 1903.) Dendromyia argenteoventralis, nov. sp.

Thorax deep bronzy-brown with white scales in front and at the sides, especially just before the wings; pleure white scaled. Head black with some white scales around the eyes and some ochreous ones in the middle; proboscis long, thin, black. Abdomen black with basal snow-white bands and large white nearly basal lateral spots on the basal segments; venter white. Legs black, apex of hind tibiæ snow-white; venter of femora pale creamy.

Q. Head clothed with flat black and grey scales, white ones around the eyes, black chætæ; clypeus, proboscis and palpi black; the proboscis long and thin about the length of the abdomen; palpi prominent about one-seventh the length of the proboscis; antennæ deep brown, basal segment black with same small dark scales.

Thorax deep shiny bronze, clothed with dark, large and broad, narrow-curved scales, white ones in-front, at the sides, especially in front of the roots of the wings, all the white scales very loose; scutellum brown, paler at the edge, clothed with flat

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dusky scales, and apparently some pale ones (partly denuded); metanotum deep brown; pleuræ densely clothed with flat white scales, rounded apically.

Abdomen black, the sixth and seventh segments with basal white bands, the others with basal white lateral spots, which spread upwards on to the dorsum somewhat towards the middle of the segments; the venter snowy white at the base and for about two-thirds of its length, rest black with a white band; the scales outstanding on the apical segments.

Legs deep brownish-black, except the venter of hind femora, which are pale creamy, and a prominent white hand on the apex of the hind tibiæ. Fore and mid ungues equal and uniserrate.

Wings with the fork-cells rather long, the first longer but very little narrower than the second, its stem about half the length of the cell; stem of the second posterior about two-thirds the length of the cell; bases of the fork-cells about level; ' posterior cross-vein shorter than the mid, about four times its own length distant from it. Lateral vein scales on the apices of the second long vein rather broad.

Length: 4 mm. Habitat: Obuasi.

Time of capture: 29, ix., '07.

Observations: Caught in bush, 6 p.m. Described from a single specimen. It. is very marked, owing to the long thin proboscis and black and white ornamentation, especially of the abdomen.

Dendromyia affinis, nov. sp.

Allied to the former and closely resembling it, but differs in the much smaller fork-cells and smaller size.

Head clothed with flat black scales, with white ones in front and at the sides; black chætæ at the borders of the eyes, directed inwards from each side; palpi, proboscis, and antennæ deep brownish-black.

Thorax black with broad-curved scales of a bronzy black hue, white ones in front and forming a prominent patch in front of the roots of the wings.

Abdomen very similar to the former species. Legs similar to the former species; ungues all equal and uniserrate.

Wings with the fork-cells rather short; the first longer and narrower than the second, its base, if anything, very slightly nearer the apex of the wing, its stem three-fourths the length of the cell; stem of the second fork-cell nearly as long as the cell; posterior cross-vein Tonger than the mid, about three times its own length distant from the mid.

Length: 3 mm.

Habitat: Obuasi.

Time of capture: 6, xi., '07, and 7, viii., ‘07.

Observations: Described from two Q's, both taken in the bush at 3 p.m. This species comes very near the former, but is smaller and can at once he told by the shorter fork-cells and the more prominent white spot in front of the roots of the wings.

Genus: HODGESIA, Theobald.

(Journ. Trop. Med., Jan. 15, 1904; Mono. Culicidæ, IV., p. 579, 1907.) Hodgesia cuptopous, nov. sp.

Shiny metallic black, a pale spot on the head, blue to mauve, a silvery white spot formed by the white scaleu prothoracic lobes on each side; pleuræ silvery white. Abdomen dark blackish-brown above, silvery white at the sides and below. Legs brown, the fore and mid last tarsi bent and overlapped by a long tuft of scales above. Head covered with small flat black scales with a patch of pale ones in the middle, mauve in some lights, blue in others; chætæ black; proboscis deep brown, swollen apically; palpi very minute, dark brown; antennæ with rather long hairs, brown, basal segment globular, brown.

Thorax shiny black, clothed with narrow-curved bronzy black scales; prothoracic lobes with flat silvery-white scales; pleure dark with dense flat silvery white scales; scutellum shiny black (denuded), long black chate over the wings; metanotum black.

Abdomen flattened laterally, expanded apically, dusky brownish-black with silvery lateral scales (creamy in some lights) and silvery venter.

1350 r

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