GENUS MEGAEHINA 271 3. MEGARHINA IMNORNATA, Walker.
("Proc. Linn. Soc." viii, p. 102.)
Caudal adornment yellow and black. All the tarsal joints of the ? , with basal white bands, except the first joints of the hind legs ; those of 3' unhanded. Thorax, deep bronzy-brown, azure' over the roots of the wings and on the prothoracic lobes. Head dark bronze, peacock-blue in front, and rather redder at the sides ; palpi purplish in the 3' , darker in the ? , with the apices of second and third joints brilliant violet or blue. Plurse brown with patches of white scales. Abdomen blue at the base, then purple, then coppery-red, with caudal tuft of black and orange hairs, white tufts anterior to it. Legs of (? purple, femora pale below. Length. — 11 mm. Habitat. — New Guinea.
In Walker's original description of this most inappropriately named species, his characteristic omission of all its most distinctive chai-acters led to its being placed among the species without contrasted caudal tufts, and hence its altered position in the present issue.
4. MEGARHINA SPLENDENS (Wied.).
Culex splendens, Wied., " D. E,," p. 7, and " Zool. Mag." iii, 2, No. 1.
Caudal ornamentation, yellow and black. First and second tarsal joints of fore and mid legs white. Thorax greenish or yellowish-black, whitish on the pleurse.
" Thorax black, with metallic golden and green scales ; pleurse black,, densely white scaled. Abdomen metallic-green at the base, purple posteriorly, with dense golden-orange caudal tuft and white hairs laterally. Legs brilliant golden and green; apices of the jomts rich green, metatarsi and tarsi partly white. Length. — 10*5 mm. Habitat. — Java, Sumatra, Batavia, Singapore.
5. MEGARHINA PURPURiEA, Theob. (Mouog., I, p. 230.) Caudal tufts yellow and black. Fore tarsi unhanded ; mid, with white spots on outsides of second and third joints ; hind, with similar spots on third joint. Thorax castaneous, with a. median azure line. Abdomen, brilliant purple.
Thorax chestnut-browai, with a median azure-blue line and aziu-e-blue scales at the sides, deep blue in front of the scutellum, scutellum with pale blue scales ; abdomen metallic-purple, first segment peacock-blue.
272 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI with apical, lateral <?olden spots, and golden venter. Legs dark, with some deep purple reflections, no white on fore legs, the mid feet have the second and third tarsi white beneath (hind tarsi missing). Wings with " 2," only a short way in advance of the " 3," and " 4," joining the latter. Lenr/th. — 8 to 8*5 ram.
Habitat. — Amazon (Bates), 1861.
Observations. — " Described from two ? 's in the Hope Collection at Oxford Universitj^ It resembles M.ferox, but can at once be told by the abdomen being brilliant purple instead of steel-blue, with apical yellow bands, and by the four, not five, jointed palpi. The venation also differs in regard to the position of the cross-veins."
6. MEGARHINA LUTESCENS, Theob. (Monog., I, p. 233). Caudal adornment yellow and black. Third hind tarsal joints white, except at very apex. Thorax dull bronze, shading to mauve and green laterally, with azure patches over the roots of the wings.
Thorax brown, with small dull bronzy scales above and broader mauve and green ones at the sides, and an azure patch over the roots of the wings ; pleurae yellowish, darker in the middle, with a line of silvery scales. Abdomen covered with golden-green scales, and with golden caudal tufts on the sixth and seventh segments. Legs black, with coppery-green and purple metallic reflection, and golden-yellow bases to femora ; second tarsal joint of hind legs white. Length. — 7'5 mm. Habitat. — Salisbury, Mashonaland (G. A. K. Marshall, 1879). June. Observations. — " Described from single <? only, in nearly perfect condition. This is a very beautiful species, with a great play of colours, the golden abdominal scales appearing like burnished brass in some lights ; the yellow caudal tuft should separate it at once from other species."
7 MEGARHINA SUBULIFER, Doleschall.
("Nat. Tijdschr. v. Ned. Indie," xiv, p. 382.)
Caudal ornamentation yellow and black. All the tarsi broadly banded whitish ; thorax brown with greenish-gold scales ; anterior margin of wing metallic-blue sealed.
Bears much resemblance to M. Amboinensis, Dol., but differs as follows : — The black $ palpi are short, upturned, and rather hairy ; nape partly green ; scutellum and first two abdominal segments green, but the remaining segments blue. Wings rather shorter than abdomen, their costa partly green-scaled. Length. — 2^ Dutch lines. Habitat. — Amboina.
No specimens referable to this species have reached tlie Museum.
GENUS MEGARHINA 273 8. MEGARHINA SPECIOSA, Skuse (W. Macleay, M.S.). (" S. A. C," p. 1722.)
Caudal adornment yellow and black. Fore tarsi, with the first joint all white save at the base, and the second and just the base of third also white ; first mid-tarsal with a broad basal white band, and the second, third, and base of fourth joints white ; hind entirely dark purple, except a narrow band at the base of the first, and all but the apex of the second joints. Thorax dark brown, with the margins and prothorax densely pale-greenish scaled. Head pearly-greenish ; proboscis and palps deep blue, the third joint of latter with apical golden band ; pleurae with naked brown stripe from origin of the wings ; abdomen deep blue, except the first segment which is green, with a pair of lateral patches ; coxae silvery, the remainder of the legs deep violet, except as noted on the tarsi, and on the lower sides of the femora, which are golden. Wings rather longer than the abdomen. Length. — About 11 mm.
Habitat. — Queensland.
9. MEGARHINA IMMESERICORS, Walker.
(Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc, Lend., iv, p. 91 [1860] ; et vii, p. 202). =- C. Regius, Thwaites (Hope Collection).
Caudal adornment yellow and black. Legs metallic purple, with second tarsal joints entirely white except just at base and apex ; mid. tarsi with two white bands. Thorax clothed with coppery-green, fusiform scales, with an azure patch over the root of the wings.
Head azure blue in front, bronzy-red and green behind, hind border of scutellum whitish ; pleurae black with white scaled patches. Abdomen bright purple and blue with bronzy, black and yellow caudal tufts, and white tufts in front. Palpi, ^ , purple, with some white on the 2 basal joints. Wings purple along the anterior border. Length. — 11 mm. Habitat. — Makessar in Celebes, Weigiou, Mysol and North Ceram ; Ceylon, Travancore, Malay Peninsula, Nilgherri HiUs ; Trracomalie, Hot Wells and Ceylon. Neighbourhood of Calcutta. Captaia James writes that it bites very severely m S. India, and that its bite is very poisonous. It is known to the natives as the " Stinging Elephant Mosquito."
10. MEGARHINA CHRISTOPHI, Portschinsky.
(Horae Soc. Ent. RossicEe, p. 122 [1883]).
Caudal adornment yellow and black. The first and second joints of fore tarsi, the base of the first, and all second and 18
274 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI third of the mid., and all the second joint of the hind tarsi white. Thorax hlack, with metallic blue scales.
From original description : — Proboscis long and black, but distinctly shorter than the body ; antennae fuscous and barely half the length of the proboscis, provided with scanty black hairs ; their first joints, and the circumference of the eyes clothed with glistening, silvery, blue scales ; entu'e body black, closely covered with glistening blue scales. The abdommal segments, from the first to the sixth inclusive, ornamented with a glistening silvery transverse stripe ; the sixth segment provided behind with a brush of black hairs, and the last two segments with long, fulvous, marginal hairs on either side. The legs fuscous, with paler bases to the femora. Halteres fuscous. Length.— 5^ lines (Russian) $ . Habitat. — The Amur (Central Asia).
Note. — The climate of the Ainur ^Valley, though hot in summer, is intensely cold for several winter months, so that this is certainly the coldest habitat recorded for anv member of the genus. 11. MEGARHINA GILESII, Theob.
(Megarhina sp. from Sikldm, first edition, p. 131). Caudal adornment yellow and black. Tarsi unhanded in the cf , but in the 5 the first and the base of the second tarsals are yellowish-white, and in the hind the whole of the second joint, while the mid legs show no banding, but are rather pale throughout. Thorax chocolate coloured with a greenish lustre. Antennfe dark brown, witli whitish tomentum ; palpi metalUc violet and purple ; proboscis metallic violet, with greenish and golden scales intermixed. Thorax very large, ovoid, with the pointed end forwards, dark chocolate coloured, greenish in certain lights ; pleurae generally lighter than the rest of the thorax, with a few scattered bright blue and green scales. Legs with the femora covered with scales of a more or less metallic violet or deep brown, as also are the tibiae. Wings hyaline, shorter than the abdomen, with brown veins, the ant. fork-cell very minute. Abdomen with the three anterior segments dorsally bright metallic green, followed by three of a clear metallic blue, with indistinct paler violet, partly denuded bands ; all segments more or less fringed laterally with golden hairs, and the last two with a sort of aureole of long golden hairs, relieved by dense, velvety black tufts of long hairs on either side.
In the male the genitalia are scarlet and the ungues of the fore and mid legs miequal, the larger one with a large tooth, the smaller smiple ; hind ungues equal and simple. Length. — 11 mm. t^, 10 mm. $ . Habitat. — Upper Burmah ; Sikkim 1,800 feet ; Ceylon. Time of capture. — April in Burmah, June in Sildiim.
GENUS MEGARHINA 275 12. MEGARHINA RUTILLA, Coquillet.
(Canadian Entomologist, p. 43 [1896]).
Caudal adornment yellow and black. Tarsi with the second joint and the base of the third of the fore and middle tarsi, with the fourth joint and the base of the hind tarsi, white. Thorax brown with golden and violet scales, and pale yellow lateral margins.
From original description : — $■ . — Head black, with the occiput blue in centre, white next the eyes; antennae brown, the first joint covered with blue scales on the outer side, and on the side silvery-white ; proboscis and palpi black, covered with blue, gold, and white scales. Humeral angles of thorax and two large spots on the pleurae gold coloured; scutellum blue-black and goldenscaled. Abdomen black, with blue scales, becoming violet at the tip, that on the lateral margins golden, the venter blue-scaled mixed with a few golden ones. Legs black, with mixed blue, violet and golden scales, the coxae and apices of the femora entirely golden ; one claw of each of the fore and middle legs toothed, the others simj)le. "Wings hyaline, costal margins and veins brown, the scales blue and violet. 5 . — As in the $ , except that the 1st joint of the antennae is destitute of the blue and silvery scales ; 2nd, 3rd, and base of the 4th joints of the fore and mid tarsi white, claws simple. Length. — 7 to 10 mm.
Habitat. — ^North Carolina and Georgia.
13. MEGARHINA PORTORICENSIS, Von Eoder.
(Ent. Zeit. Stetin, p. 337 [1885], Von Eoder ; Trans. Ent. Soc, Lond., p. 271 [1896] Williston. ) Caudal adornment steel-blue and white ; penultimate joint of the hind tarsi silver-white. Thorax bay-brown, with green-gold scales. Abdomen, legs and palpi steely brown.
^. — Head deep brown, with white eye borders and lateral spots, blue spotted in front, and with a yellow frontal tuft ; proboscis steelyblack ; palpi purple. Thorax bronzy-green with an azure patch in front of wings ; pleurae dark brown with a large silvery patch above the coxae, Abdomen brilliant steel-blue, with creamy lateral patches. Legs steelblue, the femora golden below. Wings yellowish with violet scales at the base.
2 .—Head bronzy with blue eye borders ; palpi intense black, with a few white scales, and the apices of the joints mauve. Abdomen green at the base, purple-blue at the apex, with white, apical, lateral spots. Wings with azure-blue scales towards the base, mauve ones on the costa and on I, and I£, towards the middle. Length.— 8 mm. ? , 9 mm. 3" . Habitat.— Georgia, St. Domingo, Para, Porto Pvico, St. Vmcent. CoquiUett also gives Benoit, Mississippi in July.
276 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI 14. MEGARHINA AMBOINENSIS, Doleschall.
(Nat. Tijdschr. v. Ned. Indie, xiv, p. 381).
Caudal adornment showing no contrasted colours. Tarsi with the uppermost joint of the hind tarsi white. Thorax dark green, with glittering golden hairs, and a tuft of long bristles at the origin of the wings.
From original description : — Head blackish green ; the antennae black ; those of the $ densely plumed up to the last joint ; palpi and proboscis steel-blue, the former white between the second and third joints, and a little hairy ; pleurae white. Abdomen compressed, steel-blue, with long densely packed darker blue hairs on both sides of the three last segments. Wings longer than abdomen, yellowish with yellow-brown veins. The legs long and thin, almost hairless, blackish-blue. Length. — 4^ lines (Dutch). Habitat. — Amboina, during the dry season, in the bush ; not uncommon.
15. MEGARHINA TRICHOPYGUS, (Wied.).
(Cidex triclwpygus, Wied., "A. Z. I.," p. 4).
The date of the description is antecedent to the establishment of the genus Megarhina, but the large size of the insect, its brilHant metallic coloration, the broadening of the hinder abdominal segments by tufts of hairs, and the subulate terminal joint of the palpi, make it pretty certain that the species belongs to this genus.
Caudal tufts showing no contrasted colours. Tarsi with certain bands or joints whitish? Thorax black with greenishgolden scales and the abdomen brown.
Original description : — Antennae bx'own ; palpi yellowish, opalescing blue, witli brassy scales below, the end joint subulate deep steel-blue ; proboscis blue-black, tapering very much ; head and thorax black with greenish- gold and blue scales ; pleurae and coxae brown, with silvery scales. Abdomen' polished, brownish, with light steel-blue scales ; belly with silvery and steel-blue scales ; the ante -penultimate segment broader, fringed on either side ; the penultimate and last segments progressively smaller, and also fringed with brownish-black cilia, which show violet-blue in certain lights. Legs yellowish-brown, with steel-blue, with silvery scales below. (Middle legs wanting in specimen described.) Length. — oh to 4^ lines (German). Habitat. — Brazil.
GENUS MEGARHINA 277 16. MEGARHINA FEROX, (Wied.).
(Culex ferox, Wied., "A. Z. 1.," p. 1).
Caudal adornment showing no marked contrast of colour or any very distinct tufts beyond a few yellow hairs. Last two hind tarsals white in both sexes, and those of second and third joints of fore legs in $ only. Thorax chestnut with azure adornments.
Head chestnut, with pale blue eye margins ; antennae brown, with frosty tomentum on basal, and brown scales on second joint ; palpi and proboscis deep purple to black.
Thorax bright chestnut-brown with a median azure-blue stripe, an azure-blue band laterally and a patch over each wing and on the prothoracic lobes ; scutellum deep purple in the middle, pale azure-blue and pale apple-green on the lateral lobes in the $ ; no medium azureblue band in the ^ , nor is the middle of the scutellum deep purple. Abdomen steel-blue, the basal segment bright bluish-green, some of the apical segments with apical j^ellow bands ; venter and sides partly dull golden yellow ; anal segment with numerous yellow hairs. Legs metallic blue and purple, last two tarsi of the hind legs in $ and ^ white and the first two tarsi in the fore legs, but apparently not in the ^ ; fore and mid ungues of the ^ unequal, the larger uniserrated ; in the $ equal and siiuple. (" Monog.") Length. — 5 lines.
Habitat. — Brazil ; Georgia.
17. MEGARHINA LONGIPES, Theob. (Monog., p. 241).
Apex of abdomen armed with dense yellow hairs, but with no contrasted colouration or distinct caudal tufts. The second, third, and fourth fore, and middle tarsal joints yellowish-white ; the hind tarsi purplish-black, with the apex of the fourth joint white. Thorax bronzy above, green laterally. ? . — Head green in front, golden brown behind ; palpi metallic green ; proboscis coppery. Prothoracic lobes pale blue ; scutellum pale brown, blue on lateral lobes ; pleurae brown, with pale gold patches. Abdomen bright olive-green, the first segment pale blue, and the apex yellow; venter golden-scaled. Legs deep steely blue, with the bases of the femora yellowish. Wings dusky on the costa, with some purple scales on some of the long veins ; halteres pale, with fuscous knob. Length. — 8 mm. (of mid legs 18 mm., of wings 9 mm.).
Habitat. — Mexico.
This species, and also Walker's M. inornata, may possibly belong to Mr. Theobald's new genus Toxorhynchites, as in both it is uncertain whether the palpi of the ? specimens available are short or broken.
278 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES — CHAPTER XI 18. MEGARHINA(?) YIOLACEA (Hoffmansegg).
No species referable to the very scanty description given below has come to hand, so the original is, 'pro forma, reproduced. CuUx violaceus, Hoffmansegg.
Caudal tufts yellow and black (?). Tarsi uniformly coloured. Thorax fuscous.
Description from Wied., " D.E.," p. 7. — Steel-coloured, with a fuscous thorax ; sides of the abdomen golden-yellow ; tarsi without any white markings. Somewhat resembles M. (C.) sj^lendens, "Wied., but differs from it in its smaller size.
Genus IL TOXORHYNCHITES, Theobald (1891).
This genus has been constituted by Mr. Theobald for the reception of a single species, aberrant, though obviously allied to MegarJiina, which he defines as follows : — Head clothed with flat scales ; thorax with small, flat, spindle-shaped scales ; abdomen with flat scales. Palpi in the 2 three-jointed, the last joint long and rounded at the end, slightly curved at the apex ; in the ^ five-jointed. Proboscis long and curved, as in MegarJiina. Wing venation much as in MegarJiina, the supernumerary cross-vein nearer the apex of the wing than the mid cross-vein. Ungues of 5 equal and simple. Abdomen with a caudal tuft.
This genus resembles MegarJiina on the one band and Culex on the other. From MegarJiina, however, it differs in the J having short palpi. From Culex it differs in the wing venation, which resembles MegarJiina. (" Monog.") 1. TOXORHYNCHITES BREYIPALPIS, Theob.
(Monog., p. 245).
Thorax brown, covered with olive-brown scales, with a greenish tinge, and pale blue ones on each side. Abdomen deep metallic blue, with lateral white scales, and with white, black, and orange caudal tuft. Legs metallic blue, base of first and most of second tarsal joint, pure white ; in the hind legs base of second tarsal only white ; fore legs uniform.
?. — Head bright blue in front, darker behind; palpi three-jointed, rather thick, and about one quarter the length of proboscis, of a bright purple tint ; proboscis purple at base, bronzy at apex ; antennae deep brown, the scaphus black, with cinereous reflections. Prothoracic lobes pale blue ; scutellum and metathorax deep brown ; pleurae black, with dense white scales. Abdomen brilliant deep metallic blue, with a caudal