QL 536 T55 BIOLOGY LIBRARY INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA. fhe Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. KINGSTON. JAMAICA : THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA : DATE TREE HALL. Agents in London: H. Sotheran & Co., 140, Sfrand, and 37, Piccadilly, W. 1905 THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA, For the encouragement of Literature, Science, and Art. THE LIBRARY, READING ROOM, MUSEUM, and ART GALLERY are opened to the public every week-day. The Library and Reading Room from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays : the Museum from lo a.m. till dusk ; the Art Gallery from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. OFFICE HOURS, y a.m. to 4 p.m. MEMBERSHIP. The Subscription is ten shillings ; or, in the case of Members residing outside Jamaica, tive shillings per calendar year, payable on election, and on the 1st of January in each following year. Members have the right to use the Members' Room ; to borrow one book*and one magazine from the Library ; and to attend, and to bring one friend to Members' Meetings. A reduc- tion in their favour is made in the price of the subscription to the courses of Institute of Jamaica Lectures. They also receive copies of the current publications of the Institute, either gratis or at reduced rates. SUBSCRIBERS TO THE LIBRARY pay three shillings for three months' right to borrow books and magazines. BOXES OF BOOKS. Boxes of 100 selected books arc lent to local institutions in the country at a charge of 2 10s. per annum. Parcels of 20 books for 10s. THE MOSQUITOES OR CULICIDAE OF JAMAICA. BY FRED. V. THEOBALD, M.A. CANTAB., VICE-PRINCIPAL AND ZOOLOGIST TO THE SOUTH-EASTERN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, ENGLAND ; FOREIGN MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS, U.S.A. ; PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC BIOLOGISTS OF BRITAIN, ETC. WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME OF THE VARIOUS STAGES BY M. GRABHAM, M.A., M.B. CANTAB., GOVERNMENT MEDICAL SERVICE, JAMAICA. KINGSTON, JAMAICA: THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA : DATE TREE HALL. Agents in London : H. Sotheran & Co., 140, Strand, and 37, Piccadilly, W. 1905. BIOLOGY LIBRARY LONDON : PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, DUKE STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND GREAT WINDMILL STREET, BIOLOGY LIBRARY, NOTE. THE Board of Governors of the Institute of Jamaica has to acknowledge its indebtedness to Mrs. ALFRED MITCHELL, of Port Antonio, Jamaica, who has kindly defrayed the cost of the production of this publication. January, 1905. M 7729 THE MOSQUITOES OR CULICIDAE OF JAMAICA. As something like finality has been reached in regard to the mosquitoes of this island through the energy and ability of Dr. Grabham, I propose to issue a complete account of them for the reference of those working on such diseases as they are connected with in this and neighbouring islands. The fact that we have all three of the worst mosquito-borne diseases here and in the neighbouring islands, namely malaria, filariasis, and now and then yellow fever (the latter luckily almost stamped out through the energetic work of Americans), makes this subject of vital importance to those connected with the West Indies, otherwise than Jamaica. Previous to 1899 little or nothing was known of the Jamaican Culicidae. In my Monograph * issued in 1901 nine species were recorded and one variety, four of which were new to science. The four previously known species were Anopheles argyrotarsis, R.-Desvoidy, Stegomyia fasciata, Fabricius, Culex fatigans, Wiedemann, and Culex confirmatus, Arribalzaga, but none of these had been recorded from the island. The new species added were Anopheles Grabhamii, Culex jamaicensis, Culex atratus, Culex (Stegomyia ?) Walkeri, and Deinocerites cancer. In Vol. II. of the Monograph f Anopheles Grabhamii was taken as the type of a new genus for which I proposed the name Cycloleppteron, owing to the curious rounded black scales on the wings. Another new Culex, Culex secutor, was also described in the Appendix (p. 321), and also a new Uranotaenia, Uranotaenia socialis (p. 340). * A Monograph of the Culicidae of the World, 2 vols., and 1 Atlas of Plates, 1901 ; vol. iii., 1903. t App., p. 312. 6 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. In Vol. III. of the same Monograph, issued in 1903, the genus Cycloleppteron was more fully detailed (p. 55), and an account of its life-history given. Some slight errors crept in here, jwhish I now v. T ish to rectify. Anopheles argyrotarsis was placed in v bhe neW gemjs Cellia. The following new species of Culex ^ece M.dded to the- Jamaican fauna Culex janitor (p. 183), and Culex similic (p.- 207). , Culex atratus was placed in a new genus which I named Melanoconion (p. 238), Culex jamaicensis in the new genus Grabhamia, and to this genus two other species were added Grabhamia pygmaea (p. 245) and G. sollicitans, Walker (p. 247). Another new record was Mansonia titillans, Walker. Culex WalJceri was placed, on further examination, in the genus Hoivardina (p. 287), which at that time was thought to be an Aedine. Thus by April, 1903, the known Culicid fauna had increased to sixteen definite species. In November, 1903, Culex tortilis, and a new species of Haemagogus, H. equinus, were described (Entomologist, Nov. 1903, p. 281). Since that date Dr. Grabham has sent me Arribalzagia maculipes, Theobald, Cellia albipes, Theobald, Anopheles puncti- pennis, Say, and Uranotaenia Lowii, Theobald. In this paper I describe a new Dendromyia, thus bringing the total known species of Jamaica up to twenty-five. There are a good many more West Indian forms not found in Jamaica. Some I feel sure may occur there, but judging from our present knowledge there seems to be a decided difference between the Culicid fauna of many of the islands, notably between Trinidad and Jamaica, the former approaching that of South America, the latter the south of North America, with its GrabJiamias and Culices-, nevertheless a southern genus, Haemagogus, creeps into the Jamaican fauna. FRED. V. THEOBALD. January, 1905. Synoptic Table of Genera. SYNOPTIC TABLE OF SUB-FAMILIES. Palpi long in both sexes. Head and scutellum never com- pletely covered with flat scales, cJ palpi clubbed at the apex. First fork-cell long Anophelinae. Palpi long in the , short in the 3. Larval characters of Cellia albipes. Theobald. (a) Head. (6) Palp. (c) Mentum. (d) Frontal hairs. FIG. 1 Ungues of f re an d mid ungues unequal, the larger uniserrated ; hind ones equal and simple. Length. 4 to 4 5 mm. Geographical distribution. So far only recorded from Jamaica. It is an inland species, and is recorded from Cinchona and Mavis Bank, between 3,500 and 5,000 feet altitude; a few stray speci- mens have been taken by Dr. Grabham in the Red Hills and in Kingston. Life-history and habits. This inland species appears in great numbers at certain times, especially after heavy autumnal rains. Great numbers bred in the pools at the foot of the Red Hills near Kingston in the autumn of 1899. The adults have a slow .and clumsy flight, and appear in clouds following one about. The following is Dr. Grabham's description of the adult larva : " Respiratory siphon many times longer than broad ; double row of pecten consisting of twelve, four to five toothed spines, six to eight small hair-tufts at the upper posterior aspect of the tube. " Lateral comb of simple short spines forty to sixty in number, arranged in a triangular patch ; a large nine-branched tufted hair at the foot of the siphon behind. Chitinous collar completely encircling the ninth segment, saddle shaped; ventral tufts of hairs spring from a narrow prolongation backwards of the collar. Anal papillae three-fourths the length of longest ventral hairs, lanceolate, blunt at free ends. Dorsal tuft of six hairs, two of great length. Thoracic hairs plumose. Lower lip shown in figure. Lateral antennal tuft of numerous hairs at the junction of upper and lower thirds." Economic importance. This Culex is a persistent and vicious biter, and follows one about in dense clouds. It bites during the day and causes painful swellings. 24 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. 10. CULEX JANITOR. Theobald. (The False Crab-hole Mosquito.) i (Mono. Culicid. III., p. 183, 1903.) General appearance. Head deep brown, with narrow-curved creamy scales in the middle, darker at the sides, and very pale yellow around the eyes ; palpi black-scaled. Thorax deep brown, with rich umber brown narrow-curved scales, and with a slightly paler curved line on each side about the middle of the mesonotum (in some lights appear a median dark line, in others two median parallel lines). Abdomen in 9 unbanded, with small basal lateral white spots, venter with broad basal white bands. Fore and mid legs unbanded, hind legs with narrow bands, mostly basal, but to- some extent involving the apex of the preceding segment. Ungues of female equal and simple ; those of the fore and mid legs of the male unequal, uniserrated ; hind equal and simple. Male palpi brown, with a narrow pale band towards the base, two apical segments equal, both slightly paler at the base, with a few short hairs. Abdomen of male with three narrow pale bands on the basal segments, then two large basal spots not forming bands and a mass of dull grey scales on the apical segment. There are also traces of banding on the mid legs of the male. Length. 5 mm. Geographical distribution. Jamaica, along coast line. Life-history and habits. Nothing is yet known of the larval and pupal stages. The adults occur congregated at the entrance of crab-holes with Deinocerites cancer by the seashore. They do not fly up and attack one, and are thought by Dr. Grabham to be nocturnal. The species much resembles C. secutor, but can be told by the unbanded female abdomen and the male palpi having the two apical joints much shorter and stouter than in secutor. Moreover, its habits and distribution are different, the False Crab-hole Mosquito being littoral, the Mountain Mosquito an inland insect. PLATE 4. Stegomyia fasciata. Fabricius. (a) Mentum of larva. (6) Caudal fins of pupa. (c) Siphon. of pupa. ( / 1 Larval antenna. FIG. 1. Howarditia Walkeri. Theobald. Larval characters : () Meutum. (6) Antenna, (c) Anal segments and siphon, (rf) Bristle of lateral comb, (e) Digitate hair, from posterior border of 9th segment. FlG. 2. Culicinae. 25 11. CULEX CONFIRMATUS. Arribalzagia. (The Pale-fronted Culex.) (Dipt. Argentina, p. 46, 1891 ; Mono. Culicid. II., p. 42, 1901.) General appearance. Head dark brown, clothed with pale creamy curved scales in the middle, and with ochraceous ones at the sides and behind. Proboscis black. Palpi black. Thorax with the front half clothed with pale silky yellowish-grey scales, which become paler half way across the mesonotum, the basal half dark brown and densely bristly. Abdomen dark brown, with violet reflections, each segment with basal white lateral patches and now and then a median yellow-scaled line, which is thickest at the bases of the segments and which spreads out over the whole of the apical segment. Legs deep brown, with bronzy reflections ; fore and mid ungues equal and uniserrated in the female ; in the male the fore and the mid are unequal, the larger biserrated, the small uniserrated ; hind ones equal and uniserrated. Length. 4 5 to 6 mm. Geographical distribution. Argentine Republic, Brazil, British Guiana, Trinidad and Jamaica. In the latter island Dr. Grabham records it from the Red Hills, Ferry and Rockfort. Life-history and habits. The adult occurs in a variety of places, such as the borders of overflowing streams and swamps and in woods. Dr. Low found it in jungle growth along the coast of British Guiana. It also occurs in houses. The larvae were found by Dr. Grabham in stagnant algae- containing pools of permanent water. The larval stage lasted in an aquarium exposed to the sun about eight days, the pupal stage 36 to 48 hours. The insects generally emerge between 5 and 7 P.M. The adults appear to be especially active during the afternoon and evening. I can trace no difference between the Jamaica and Brazilian specimens of specific importance. The chorax is rather more silky white in the Jamaican specimens, and the abdomen has more often the median ochraceous line than those from elsewhere. Economic importance. No diseases are at present known to- be spread by this common species, but its bite is annoying, not only to man, but to horses and mules. 26 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. 12. CULEX TORTILIS. Theobald. (The Acrobat Mosquito.) (The Entomologist, Nov., p. 281, 1903.) General appearance. Head golden scaled ; proboscis un- banded, deep brown. Palpi deep brown. Thorax deep brown, the middle clothed with narrow-curved golden scales, on each side in front a roundish deep brown patch, the posterior part with darker scales than the front region, being almost brown, but not so dark as the front lateral areas ; pleurae pale brown, with spots of grey scales. Abdomen black in some lights, rich deep brown to dull violet in others, first segment with dusky scales forming two spots and with golden hairs ; second, third, fourth and fifth segments with narrow pale yellowish basal bands, not extending quite across the segments, also basal white lateral spots most prominent on the apical segments. Legs deep brown ; fore and mid ungues uniserrated, hind ones equal and simple. Length. 4 to 4 * 5 mm. Geographical distribution. Jamaica (at Kingston). Life-history and habits. The life-history is so far unknown. When alive they carry their hind legs twisted right forward over their head when settled after the manner of Wyeomyias. They are distinct thick-set mosquitoes easily told by the thoracic ornamentation. There is considerable variation in the venation of the wings and in the amount of abdominal banding. The male is unknown. 13. CULEX SIMILIS. Theobald. (Mono. Culicid. III., p. 207, 1903.) General appearance. Thorax reddish-brown, with very minute dull golden-brown and a few black scales, and three double rows of black bristles ; pleurae pale ochraceous, metanotum nude. Abdomen deep brown, with narrow pale basal bands, which on the last three segments spread out laterally. Legs deep brown, unbanded, coxae and venter of femora pale ; ungues small, equal and simple. Wings with typical Culex scales, stem of first sub- marginal nearly half the length of the cell. Length. 5 mm. Culicinae. 27 Nothing is known of its life-history and habits. The descrip- tion is drawn up from a single perfect 9 taken in the Red Hills to the west of Kingston, in March, 1902. It is allied to C. fatigans, but can be told by the absence of the two thoracic lines. 14. CULEX FATIGANS. Wiedemann. (The Common Tropical or Grey Mosquito.) (Auss. Zweiflug. Ins., p. 10, 1828; Mono. Culicid. II., p. 151, 1901.) General appearance. Head brown, covered with pale gold- brown to creamy narrow-curved scales, and brownish-black and ochraceous upright forked ones, a faint pale border around the eyes. Thorax brown, covered with pale golden narrow-curved scales with two more or less distinct bare parallel lines in front. Abdomen dark brown to black, with basal white to pale creamy curved bands and white lateral spots. Legs dark brown ; bases of femora and coxae paler, knee spot white and apex of tibiae with a pale spot ; ungues of 9 equal and simple, in the $ the fore and mid unequal, both uniserrated, hind equal and simple ; stem of first fork-cell moderately long. Length. 4 *5 to 5*5 mm. Subject to much variation in size, venation and colour. Geographical distribution. In most tropical and sub-tropical countries and islands, and also spreading into warmer temperate climes. This species and S. fasciata seem to go together. Life-history and habits. This is the common household mosquito of the tropics and sub-tropical countries. The larvae are found in all manner of collections of water, especially tubs, barrels, and tanks, and small collections of water, such as bottles, tins, &c. It is closely and intimately connected with man, so closely that it travels with him by sea and land, and in this way is spread from place to place and where it has never before existed. It is strictly nocturnal in habits and seldom appears to feed by day. The eggs are laid in "rafts," just as by C. pipiens. The larvae have not a very long siphon when adult, but when young it is long and thin. On the side the comb consists of eleven spines with five to seven rays. The antennae end in five bristly hairs, and there is a long dense lateral tuft ; the spines of the pecten at the base of the siphon are simple, between fifty and sixty in number. The mentum is broad, and has upright nearly parallel bare sides, the spines of the apical border, which slopes 28 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. at an angle on each side from the apex, are simple and rounded at their ends. The pupae very similar to Culex pipiens. This larva differs from C. pipiens in (1) the smaller range of teeth on the spines on the pecten of the tube, which vary from four to five, and in different spines on the pecten on the eighth segment. Economic importance. This is one of the chief agents in spreading Filaria nocturna, the bloodworm of man. It also acts as the intermediate host of Filaria immitis of dogs. Beyond acting as a disease carrier, it is a very vicious and persistent biter and draws away large quantities of blood, not only of man, but of animals and birds. 15. MELANOCONION ATRATUS. Theobald. (The Small Black Mosquito.} (Mono. Culicid. II., p. 55, 1901, and III., p. 238, 1903.) General appearance. Head with creamy-white narrow curved scales in the middle, flat ones at the sides and black upright forked scales ; palpi and proboscis black. Thorax deep umber brown to almost jet black. Abdomen black, sometimes with a dull coppery-brown sheen, each segment with small lateral basal spots, most distinct on the apical segments ; venter with broad creamy apical bands. Legs dark brown to almost black, except at the base, a pale knee spot and another at the tibio- metatarsal joint, female ungues equal and simple, in the male the fore and mid unequal, both uniserrated, hind equal and simple. Wings with dark brown scales, those on the apical areas of the veins short, broad and dense. Costal upper border spiny. Length. 2' 5 to 3 mm. Geographical distribution. Trinidad, Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Jamaica, British Guiana, Brazil. In Jamaica it is found in abundance at the Ferry Swamp and also occasionally in Kingston. Life-history and habits. This small black mosquito occurs in swarms in the mangrove swamps, and also is found in the bush and in hospitals and houses. Dr. Grabham says it is the usual swamp form in Jamaica. They are taken all the year round. The eggs have not been observed. The larvae live in permanent algae-containing pools and feed upon algae. Minnows frequently occur with them and do not seem to destroy them at all ; nor do PLATE 5. Culex taeniorhynchus. Wiedemann. Larval characters : (a) Mentum. (6) Siphon and anal segments, (c) Antenna. (d) Bristle of lateral comb, (e) Bristle of pecten of siphon. FIG. 1. a. Male palpi of (a) Culex janitor. Theobald. (6) Culex secutor. Theobald. FIG. 2. Culex secutor. Theobald. Larval characters : (a) Mentum. (6) Antenna. (c) Siphon and anal segments. (d) Bristle from pecten of tube. (e) Bristles of lateral comb. FIG. 3. Culicinae. 29 dragon-fly larvae. Dr. Grabham says they are easily distinguished from the larvae of other local culices by their delicate transparent outline, small size, and relatively greater length and fineness of the respiratory siphon. Dr. Low also noticed the difference in the long thin siphon. The head is very broad, broader than the thorax, and the legs prominent ; the thorax is also broader than the abdomen, and the siphon is thin and about two-thirds the length of the abdomen. In colour they are often bright green. The pupae have very long cylindrical siphons, and are green in colour ; in life the upper two-thirds of the siphons are black or dark grey, in striking contrast to the rest of the body of the pupa, which is very transparent, especially just after metamor- phosis, only the eye-spots and siphons being pigmented. Economic importance. This small black mosquito is a most troublesome pest in swamps, especially in the local mangrove swamps around Kingston ; but it also invades houses where, on account of its small size, ordinary mosquito-netting is of no protection against it. The female bites at all times of the day and night, the bites causing very severe irritation. The same species does not appear to annoy man in Brazil. 16. GRABHAMIA JAMAICENSIS. Theobald. (Mono. Culicid. I., p. 345, 1901, and HI., p. 243, 1903.) General appearance. Head brown, with narrow - curved cinereous scales and black upright forked ones, flat black and white ones laterally ; palpi brown, with some yellowish scales, apex white ; proboscis black at the tip and base, the middle with yellowish scales. Thorax dark brown, with four patches of creamy scales, the median ones round, the others oval ; there are also pale scales before the scutellum. Abdomen dark brown, with pale-scaled apical bands, those of the second segment forming a triangular patch, the next four with patches broken in the middle ; apical segment mostly black ; venter yellow scaled. Legs brown, banded and speckled with yellowish scales ; some of the tarsi basally banded white, a distinct band on the middle of the metatarsi and a pale apical femoral ring. Wings with black and white or creamy scales, a small patch of black scales forming a spot at the base of the third long vein ; ungues of the female equal and simple ; in the male the fore and mid are unequal, the larger fore unguis is biser rated, the smaller 30 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. uniserrated ; in the mid the larger claw has one small tooth, and the smaller is simple ; hind ungues equal and simple. Length. 5 5 mm. Geographical distribution. Southern States of North America and Jamaica. Life-history and habits. This very distinct species is apparently not common in Jamaica ; the specimens sent me were taken in December and bred from larvae caught along the Spanish Town Road, Kingston. The life-history has been worked out by Professor Gr. W. Herrick.* He first noticed the larvae in an open sewage drain at the College Campus of the Agricultural College, Mississippi, in 1901, and again scores in a roadside pool near Stark ville. At first sight they might be mistaken for Anopheles owing to their horizontal position in the water. They lie just below the surface film. Rain-water pools of transient nature seem their favourite abode, those found in the sewage ditch being exceptional. When the larva rises to the surface it assumes at first the position of a Culex, but after a moment, if left undisturbed, the body with a slight jerk floats quickly to an approximately horizontal position, with the head on a level with the surface of the water. It differs from Anopheles in this respect, however, like a piece of slack rope, curved down between the head and respiratory tube. The tube projects at least a third of its length out of the water. They are constantly swimming about in a backward direction. The anal filaments are much longer and more slender than in Culex. Professor Her rick says the respiratory tube is much longer than in Culex fatigans. The figure does not show this, and a character of this genus is the short larval siphon. The antennae have a small lateral tuft towards the apex. The comb on the eighth segment is composed of conspicuously toothed spines joined on a weak basal segment. The pupae are large and are figured with long siphons, with two tiers at the truncated end. This stage lasts, according to Professor Herrick, forty-eight hours. The eggs are laid singly, as observed by Dr. Grabham, and are possibly, as in G. sollicitans, laid on dry mud or moist soil, and await the coming of rain. The eggs of G. dorsalis can withstand desiccation some months, and hatch out at once when placed in water. This habit of laying eggs on dry or drying mud in places likely to catch water and so form pools is apparently common to the members of this very distinct genus. * Entomological News, p. 81, March, 1904. Culicinae. 31 17. GRABHAMIA PYGMAEA. Theobald.* (Mono. Culicid. HI., p. 245, 1903.) General appearance. Somewhat like the former, but much smaller, and the thorax creamy scaled, with two dark median spots and a median dark line in front and a zigzag line around the two spots in front and on the inner side. The metatarsi show no trace of median banding, and there is no trace of a spot at the base of the third long vein, and the wing scales are shorter and rather broader than in Q. jamaicensis. The abdomen and remainder very similar to the former species. The apical abdominal bands are not divided except on the hindermost segments. Thoracic ornamentation very variable ; one specimen had pronounced dark-scaled areas. Geographical distribution. Antigua and Jamaica. Life-history and habits. The following notes and figures were sent me by Dr. Grabham : " Two gorged specimens, captured on a horse and introduced into breeding jars. A few eggs were laid about thirty-six hours afterwards. The insects were then killed and pinned. The eggs were deposited like those of the type, separately on the surface of the water. They were comparatively large, about |- mm. long, and somewhat narrow and covered with hollow papillae curved at their apices towards the narrow end of the ovum. The air chambers are quite different to those in Stegomyia fasciata ova. The larvae hatched out two days after- wards and were fully grown in eight days. The appearance of the last three abdominal segments of the adult larva as in the figure. Anal papillae, lanceolate, acuminate, as long as the longest posterior hairs. A short chitinous collar around the posterior half of the ninth segment strengthened on the under surface by transverse bars. A pair of tufts of hairs spring from the upper surface and eight to nine pairs from the ventral surface. Respiratory siphon a little more than twice as long as broad. At each of the postero-lateral margins a row of four short, two to four branched, bristles. A pair of compound plumose hairs at the upper border of the eighth segment, each hair with six to seven trichae. A row of compound bristles at the postero-lateral margin of the eighth segment, composed of * Colonel Giles, late I.M.S., has recently described this very marked Grabliamia as a, new Taeniorliynchus T. antiguae in the Journal of Tropical Medicine. The type is in the British Museum, and I have had it placed in its true position. 32 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. six to seven claw-shaped bristles, each with five to six stout highly chitinised curved denticles. The long hairs on the thorax, especially those on the posterior groups, are plumose. Lower lip of Meinert with twelve to sixteen teeth on each side. The adult larva seen in breeding jar has two dark olive-green spots on the upper surface of the sixth segment. Antennae truncate, lateral tuft of a few hairs (sometimes only one). A few short terminal hairs. The pupal stage lasted about thirty -two hours." 18. GRABHAMIA SOLLICITANS. Walker. (The White-banded Salt Marsh Mosquito). (Insect. Saund., p. 427, 1856; Mono. Culicid. I., p. 368, 1901, and III., p. 247, 1903.) General appearance. Head brown, with dense golden, narrow curved scales, with flat ochraceous ones at the sides ; palpi with dark scales and a white apex ; proboscis black, with a distinct yellowish-white median band. Thorax covered with thin narrow curved yellow golden scales ; pleurae with dense white scales Abdomen clothed with creamy-white to yellow scales, which form a broad central line, and with basal white bands and white lateral spots, with a dark quadrangular patch on each side on most of the segments ; venter with pale creamy scales. Legs ochraceous, mottled with black and white scales ; knee spots white ; fore metatarsi without a basal white band, mid and hind metatarsi with a pale basal band, quite white in the hind legs and with two blackish bands, one apical ; raid and fore tarsi with a broad white basal band except on the last joint, which is pale ; in the hind legs the bands are broader and whiter and the last segment is all white. Wing scales mottled ; fork-cells short. Length. 5 5 to 6 mm. Geographical distribution. Along the littoral of North America ; Galapago Islands ; Tamsui ; Formosa and Jamaica. Somewhat rare in Jamaica. Life-history and habits.* This well-marked species inhabits the salt marshes along the North American coast, and especially along the bays and near the mouths of rivers where they empty into salt water. The adults migrate some distance inland far from their breeding grounds. The larvae occur in very brackish water and even salt water. Now and then they are also found * New Jersey Agri. Exp. Station, Bull. 171, Feb. 8, 1904, p. 17, J. B. Smith; and a special Bulletin, T, July 8, 1902, The Salt Marsh Mosquito, p. 8. PLATE 6. ? HEADS AND THORACES~OF JAMAICAN CUUCIDAE. I. Stegomyia fasciata. Fabricius. II. Hoicardina Walkeri. Theobald. V. G. pygmaea. Theobald. VI. Culex secutar. Theobald. VII. Cettia albipes. Theobald. III. Culex conjirmatus. Arribalzaga. IV. Grabha at ia junta ici'iisis. Theobald. VIII. Anopheles punctipennis. Say. IX. Uranotaenia socialis. Theobald. Culicinae. 33 in freshwater pools on the salt marshes. They never seem to- breed in land or in purely fresh water swamps. The eggs are laid singly, white when first deposited, but become black like G. dorsalis; they are spindle-shaped, rather broadened at one end. As many as 200 may be laid by each female. The eggs are laid on mud, both moist and dry, never, it seems, in the water. The eggs remain dormant all the winter and hatch out in the spring, when the water flows into the muddy hollows where they were laid. This usually takes place in North America about March, and the first brood mature about May. The females from this brood lay eggs a few days after hatching in the muddy depressions left by drying pools and tidal pools. They can remain in this position three months. It appears that the eggs must become dry or nearly so for three or four days before they can hatch. The larvae are dirty grey to whitish, head yellow, with or without diffused blotches ; respiratory siphon short, stout and brown. The antennae are somewhat darkened apically, taper gradually to a truncated apex with four spines. Halfway up the antennae is a hair tuft of four longish hairs, and there are a few scattered short spines ; the scales of the pecten are broad basally, suddenly constricting to a fine point, with a row of seven spines on each side ; the siphon has a row of spines on the lower aspect of its basal half, the spines being long, thin and with one or more teeth on one side. The larval life varies from seven to ten days. The pupal stage lasts from one to three days. The pupae are provided with siphons having very oblique openings, the apices being swollen and the broad anal plates with the central rachis projecting well beyond their edges. Economic importance. This marsh mosquito is a very vicious biter and causes much annoyance in the towns along the New Jersey coast line and other littoral regions of North America. So far it has not been shown to be connected with any mosquito-borne disease. 19. MANSONIA TITILLANS. Walker. (The Riverside Mosquito). (Brit. Mus. List, p. 3, Walker; Dipt. Argentina, p.* 48, Arribalzaga (Taeniorhynclms tacniorhynchus); Mono. Culicid. II., p. 175, 1901, and III., p. 269, 1903.) General appearance. Head brown, with grey scales and black, upright forked ones ; palpi yellowish, with dark scales and 34 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. a few white ones, apex white ; proboscis yellowish-brown, a little dark at the base and very dark at the apex, in fact, broadly pale banded in the middle. Thorax brown, with scattered brown narrow-curved scales and a few golden ones in lines, long black scales and bristles over the roots of the wings. Abdomen dusky- brown, with yellow scales laterally, ochraceous ventrally and sometimes with white scales on the apical borders and the sides. Legs yellowish-brown, with ochraceous and dark scales ; tarsi basally pale banded ; ungues of the female equal and simple. Wings densely scaled, with broad brown and creamy scales. In the male the fore and mid ungues are unequal. The larger uniserrated, the smaller simple, hind ones equal and simple. Length. 5 to 5*5 mm. Geographical distribution. Generally over the northern part of South America, through Brazil to the Argentine, in the southern states of North America and in Trinidad, Antigua and Jamaica. Apparently uncommon in Jamaica. Life-history and habits. This common South American species has, as far as I know, not had its life-history worked out. It is a large and conspicuous insect which is subject to much variation. It is limited in Brazil largely to river sides and swamps fed by running water. It follows the course of the large South American rivers, but also occurs in numbers on the littoral. It inhabits the banks of the Parana, and is present in great numbers in March and April, and visits houses in numbers. It apparently does not like thickly -populated places, and, although common around, is rare in Buenos Ayres and its suburbs. It occurs also in November in Brazil, and in abundance along the course of the Amazon. The eggs are probably like those of the allied African and Indian species (uniformis), and are laid singly. The pupa and larva are unknown also ; at least, have not been described. The M. uniformis has a pupa of rather marked character, the siphons being long and curved and ending acuminately, and the anal plates are elongated and oval, notched at the apex, and the abdominal segments are much constricted and have dorsal median spines. Economic importance. The bite of this riverside mosquito is very painful ; its saliva is distinctly acid. Probably it can act as an intermediate host of filariae. PLATE 7. Aedinae. 35 20. URANOTAENIA SOCIALIS. Theobald. (The Jamaican Uranotaenia.) (Mono. Culicid. IL, p. 340, 1901.) General appearance. Head dark, covered with flat black scales, and metallic blue ones bordering the edges in the middle ; palpi small, brown ; proboscis black, swollen apically. Thorax brown, with a yellowish chestnut tinge, with very small bronzy brown scales, a median row of small flat blue to mauve scales ending at the bare space in front of the scutellum, a similar coloured patch in front of the root of each wing and a small median one on the scutellum; prothoracic lobes blue. Abdomen black, unbanded, sometimes showing a pearly patch on the apex of the fifth and sixth segments. Legs black, unbanded, with a white knee spot and another at the apex of the tibiae. Wings with a pale blue tint at the root of the fifth long vein. Male ungues of the fore legs very slightly unequal, small and simple ; of the mid very unequal, sickle- shaped and simple ; hind smaller, nearly equal, and simple. Length. 2 mm. Geographical distribution. So far only recorded from Jamaica. Life-history and habits. The life-history does not seem to be known. Dr. Grabham found the larvae in association with Anopheles larvae in some stagnant permanent pools about the Kingston district, and was unable to get the adults to bite. 21. DEINOCERITES CANCER. Theobald. (The Crab-hole Mosquito.) (Mono. Culicid. II., p. 215, 1901, and HI., p. 275, 1903.) General appearance. Head blackish-brown, with grey narrow curved scales, with a dull creamy tinge in front, ochraceous and pale brown upright forked scales ; palpi brown, with a few grey scales; proboscis brown, black apically, apex expanded. Antennae long, the second segment as long as the three follow- ing, second segment with small brown scales ; in the male the antennae are very long, considerably longer than the whole body, pilose, not plumose, as in all the preceding Culicidae. The second segment is equal in length to two of the following segments. Thorax black, paler towards the scutellum, covered with narrow curved bronzy scales which have a greyish tinge in certain lights. Abdomen steely black, with deep umber-brown scales with violet reflections, no trace of bands or lateral spots. Legs unbanded, brown, with bronzy and yellowish reflections ; ungues of female D 2 36 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. small, equal and simple ; in the male the fore and mid legs have unequal ungues, the larger in both uniserrated, the smaller simple ; hind ones rather long, thin, curved and simple. Length. 4 to 5 mm. Geographical distribution. St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Barbadoes, Jamaica and British Guiana. Life-history and habits. This is a "crab-hole" breeding form, the water in which they occur being brackish. The larvae occur at the bottom of these crab-holes, near the sea. The crab-holes are long winding passages, sometimes three or four feet long and only about four inches in diameter. The live insects hold their long antennae stiffly out in front, somewhat arched downwards and kept in constant movement exploring the surface as the insect crawls. At the end of the second joint are a number of peculiar sense organs (Giles) which are probably olfactory organs. They are sluggish in flight, and, when disturbed, Dr. Low noticed that they fly slowly from one hole to another. The eggs are not known. The larvae are grey with a dark median line, chestnut-brown head and brown siphons, which are thick and as long as the two preceding segments and the one on which they are situated. In the adult larva, Dr. Grabham says, the siphon is nearly cylindrical, many times longer than broad ; the pecten composed of six to seven deeply bind or trifid bristles, a pair of long bifurcated hairs about the middle and a pair of short simple hairs below the free end. Lateral comb of the eighth segment composed of numerous simple curved bristles, the posterior the longer. There are trifid plumose hairs below the base of the siphon. The ninth segment has a chitinous dorsal plate as shown in the figure. Anal papillae reduced to two curved lateral lobes. Ventral chitinous plate small, mentum with fifteen to twenty bifurcated teeth. Antennae with a median tuft of four to six hairs, and on the apex two long and two short hairs and two spines. The first thoracic segment has numerous simple hairs in front and two pairs of bunches of plumose hairs arising from conical papillae on each side; the second segment has four lateral hairs, two long and plumose and two short, the third to sixth with a pair of finely plumose hairs on each side, the seventh with a single long hair. The length of the siphon varies according to age. Length. 6 mm. The pupa has truncated siphons and two anal fins. The length of the various stages is not known. PLATE 8. G-rabhamia jamaicensis. Theobald. Larva in position in water (x water level\ (b) Pupal siphon. (c) Anal filament of larva. Abdominal segments of male, (e) Hind metatarsus of G. jamaicensis (e-fi of G. pygmaea. (/) Wing of 9, showing spot z). \g Larval antenna (partly after Herrick\ FIG. 1. Grabhamia pygmaea. Theobald. Larval characters : (a) Mentum. (b) Enlarged teeth of same. (c) Siphon and anal segments. (d) Bristles of comb of basal segment. (e) Bristle of pecten of tube. (/) Antenna. \g) Egg. (y^ Enlarged papillae of egg shell. FlG. 2. Aedinae. 37 22. HAEMAGOGUS EQUINUS. Theobald. (The Jamaican Haemagogus.) (The Entomologist, p. 282, 1903.) General appearance. Head metallic violet, white between the eyes in front ; palpi and proboscis black ; antennae pale brown. Thorax metallic green, pleurae snowy white. Abdomen bright metallic violet, with three prominent and one faint silvery white basal bands and white lateral spots. Legs unbanded, deep brown, femora white beneath. Wings with violet reflections, iridescent. Length. 4 to 5 mm. Geographical distribution. Jamaica. Life-history and habite. This brilliant species was taken by Dr. Grabham on a horse, in August, at the lower end of the Old Pound Road, St. Andrews, at 7 p.m. It is evidently an un- common insect. Nothing is known of its life-history. 23. DENDROMYIA MITCHELLII. Nov. sp. Head deep brown, with grey scales at the sides ; proboscis and palpi deep brown ; antennae brown. Thorax deep shiny brown, clothed with deep brown scales ; pleurae bright ochraceous, with patches of silvery white scales. Abdomen deep blackish, with grey or creamy venter ; unbanded and unspotted ; apex dark ventrally, with black bristles ; legs long and thin, deep brown, except one side of the last three mid tarsi (and the tip of the fourth, which is black), and the apex of the first, which are shiny silvery white. Wings with brown scales ; fork-cells long. 9 . Head deep brown, clothed with flat deep-brown scales, except around the eyes, where there is a broad border of grey scales showing violet reflections, and at the sides, and also a creamy patch in the middle in front ; a few curved black bristles project forward over the eyes. Proboscis deep blackish brown, nearly as long as the abdomen, slightly swollen apically. Palpi deep blackish brown, with short black bristles, about one-eighth the length of the proboscis ; antennae deep brown, with long dark verticillate hairs and grey pubescence on the internodes. Eyes black (in the dead insect). Thorax deep shiny black, clothed with irregularly disposed, bronzy -black, flat, spindle-shaped scales and large, flat, spatulate ones with dull violet reflections over the roots of the wings, and deep brown bristles ; there are 38 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. also large, flat scales before the scutellum. A few grey scales in front over the head; prothoracic lobes clothed with small, flat, brown scales above, with dull silvery white ones below; a patch of small, flat, silvery-white scales on each side of the mesonotum in front, scarcely showing in the dorsal view ; scutellum testaceous, clothed with small, flat, dull brownish violet, spatulate scales and brown border-bristles ; metanotuin deep to bright brown according to the light, with a few chaetae arising from black spots towards its apex ; pleurae ochraceous, with patches of small, white, flat scales. Abdomen blackish, the scales showing dull violet reflections, border-bristles very small and pallid ; venter entirely clothed with dull white scales and a few black ones apically, and with many straight black bristles at the apex. Legs long and thin, deep blackish brown with bronzy reflec- tions, the hind femora dilated apically, the last three mid tarsi and the apex of the first silvery white on one side, except just at the apex of the last segment ; ungues small, equal and simple. Wings with brown scales, those on the apex of the two branches of the second long vein slightly broadened, some of the other lateral vein-scales long and rather thin, especially on the stem of the second and on the fourth ; first sub-marginal cell considerably longer and a little narrower than the second porterior cell, its base nearer the base of the wing than that of the latter cell, its stem about one-third the length of the cell ; stem of the second posterior cell about two-thirds the length of the cell ; posterior cross- vein longer than the mid cross- vein, about half its own length distant from it ; mid and supernumerary cross- veins almost in a straight line. Halteres with pale ochraceous stem and fuscous knob. Length. 4 mm. Time of capture. January (1904). Habitat. Jamaica. Observations. Described from a single perfect female taken by Dr. Grabham. It can at once be identified by the white mid tarsi. This appears to be on one side only, apparently the upper surface. It can be at once told from the other species by the above character and the cephalic adornment. No special notes have been made on this insect. There are more lateral linear scales to the wings than in the type of the genus, but it more nearly approaches Dendromyia than Wyeomyia. PLATE 9. Grabhamia sollicitans. Walker. Larval characters : (a) Mentum. (6) Antenna. (c) Siphon and anal segments. (d) Spine from lateral comb. () Spines from pecten of tube. FIG. 1. Deinocerites cancer. Theobald. Larval characters : (a) Meutum. (<]) A process of mentum. (6) Siphon and anal segments. (c) Spine from pecten of siphon, (d] Spine from lateral comb, (e) Antenna. FIG. 2. Appendix. 39 APPENDIX. The following species also occurs in Jamaica. WYEOMYIA GRAYII. Theobald. Aedes perturbans. Williston (?). (Mono. Culicid. II., p. 269, 1901, and III., p. 310, 1903.) General description. Thorax testaceous brown, with dusky scales ; pleurae ochraceous, densely clothed in parts with broad white scales. Abdomen dusky black above ; venter ochraceous. Legs black ; coxae and venter of the femora ochraceous ; ungues of the female equal and simple ; metanotum with four chaetae placed quadrangularly ; proboscis not quite as long as thorax and abdomen. Observations. A delicate spider-like mosquito resembling Dendromyia Mitchellii, Theobald, to which it is closely allied. When settled it throws its hind legs right forward over its head. It is a vicious biter. Found by Dr. Grabham in the Red Hills and Bath Botanic Gardens. Nothing is known of the male or larvae, all attempts to breed it in captivity having failed. Length. Body, 3 to 3'5 mm. ; hind legs 8*5 mm. NOTE ON GRABHAMIA JAMAICENSIS. Theobald. Dr. Grabham has lately bred this species, and notes the following points. The ovum closely resembles that of G. pyymaea, Theobald, differing only in the shape of the papillae, which are pointed. The larvae of these two species are also much alike ; in a number of full-grown specimens which were examined the spines of the comb on the eighth segment were digitately three- spined, with a number of intervening weaker bristles. The spines of the pecten on the siphon were in two rows of three each. In G. pygmaea each row contained four or live spines. No points of specific importance were noted in the pupa. 40 The Mosquitoes or Culicidae of Jamaica. NOTES ON LARVA AND PUPA OF URANOTAENIA LOWII. Theobald. Two small delicate larvae, collected from a pool covered with Marsilia polycarpa, Hooker, in a ditch near the bridge over the Rio Cobre Canal, Old Harbour Road, Spanish Town, Jamaica. Found in association with Culex fatigans, Wiedemann, and Cellia albipes, Theobald, January 1st, 1905. Seen in the breeding-jar, the larvae assumed a horizontal position just below the surface film, the extremity of the siphon alone being in contact with the surface film. They moved forward in sharp jerks quite unlike any other Jamaican Culicid. Head. Very dark brown, almost black ; antennae short, no lateral tuft ; shaft with a few short spines ; terminal spines three, are somewhat longer than the others, about two-thirds the length of shaft ; an ovate lamina between the spines ; mentum with seven rounded teeth. Thoracic and anterior abdominal hairs feathered ; posterior abdominal hairs simple; a number of tufted hairs on the abdominal segments in addition to the lateral hairs ; no tufted hairs observed on the thorax. Rays of tufts few, long, slender. Tube. Sub-cylindrical, five times as long as broad : pair of tufted hairs in the middle of the posterior border. Pecten of tube with double row of twelve to fifteen scales; scales very thin, laminae bordered with many fine hairs (much longer than serrations figured by Felt, New York State Museum, Bull. 79, Ent. 22, p. 344, 1904, in U. sapphirina, Osten Sacken). Row of pecten scales reach from the base of tube up to level of tufted hairs. Upper scales overlap one another. Comb of eighth segment, an irregular row of eight to nine simple curved spines springing from a chitinous plate. Chitinous collar completely encircling ninth segment. Dorsal and ventral tufts of hairs spring from oval chitinous plates attached to collar by narrow isthmuses (similar plates are figured by Felt in U. sapphirina, Osten Sacken). Anal papillae long, slender, divergent. Pupa. Thorax and abdomen with scattered tufted hairs. Siphons sub-cylindrical, about eight times as long as broad ; bases deeply chitinised. Fins acuminate, midrib not projecting beyond border. Borders deeply serrated ; two halves of fins very unequal. PUBLICATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA. To be obtained at the Institute. Objects of the Institute of Jamaica. By Rev. J. RADCLIFFE 1881 Bd. Root Food Growth in Jamaica. By Rev. J. CORK 1881 6d. The Timbers of Jamaica. By Hou. W. B. ESPEUT out of print 1881 Stock and Stock-raising in Jamaica. By ARCHIBALD ROXBUBGH 1881 out of print Cacao : How to Grow and How to Cure It. By D. MORRIS out of print 1882 Some Objects of Productive Industry: Native and other Fibre Plants. By D.MORRIS 1884 6d. Outline of a Lecture on Vegetable Chemistry. By J. J. BOWREY 1884 6d. The Cultivation of the Orange in Jamaica. By Dr. JAMES NEISH 1884 6d. The Vine and its Culture. By Rev. WM. GRIFFITH 1884 6d. The Cultivation of the Ramie. By Hon. J. C. PHILLIPPO 1884 6d. On a New Beverage Substance : The Kola Nut. By Dr. JAMES NEISH . . . 1887 6d. The Advantages to result from Railway Extension. By Hon. W. B. ESPECT 1887 6d. On the Geology of Jamaica. ) On Mining in Jamaica. } By Rev. H. SCOTLAND 1889 W. 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