Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 69.djvu/402

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384
Mr. F. V. Theobald. On the Culicidce of India,

Armigeres obturbans. (Walker.)

Culex obturbans. (Walker.)

Culex venfralis. (Walker.)

'Proc. Linn. Soc. Lend./ iv, p. 91 (1860), et v, p. 144, Walker; 'Mono. Culicid.,' 1, p. 323 (1901), Theobald.

Thorax black, covered with bronzy scales in the middle of the mesothorax and with creamy-white ones all round, forming a broad, pale band. Abdomen black, with large white triangular lateral spots, last segment white. Legs black, bases and venter of the femora pale, almost white.

Length. 6 4 5 to 7 -5 mm.

Habitat. Madras; Naini Tal ; Travancore; Morzufferpur, Behar, Bengal ; Malay Peninsula ; Hong Kong ; Formosa ; Foo Chow ; East Indies.

Observations. This is one of the most abundant Asiatic species.

Lieut.-Colonel Giles has sent me specimens from India under different specific names, but only one seems at all distinct. The species is cer- tainly subject to considerable variation in size.

If the species of this genus are to be separated I am sure they can only be done so by an examination of the male ungues and genitalia. For the present I retain them all but one in this species. The typical $ ungues are as follows the fore unequal, both uniserrated, the mid smaller than the fore, not so unequal and uniserrated ; the hind small, equal and simple.

Armigeres panalectros. (Giles MS.)

'Mono. Culcidse,' 2, p. 317 (1901).

This species is much smaller than A. ventralis, and has the thorax elaborately adorned ; mouse coloured adorned with lighter lyre-shaped marks, and all the ungues of the male are toothed.

Habitat. India.

Genus Culex. Linnaeus.

'Linn. Syst. Nat.' (1735), Linnams ; ' Mono. Culicid.,' 1, p. 326 (1901), Theobald.

The type may be taken as C. fatigans, Wied., or C. pipiens, L., head scales and thoracic scales being mostly narrow curved ones.

Sixteen species of Culex are so far known in India ; the following table will help identify them : A. Wings spotted.

a. Wings spotted along the costa. Proboscis banded.

mimeticus. (Noe.)