Synopsis of a hundred common non-anopheline mosquitoes of the ...

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sidered as the vector of filariasis in the Fiji Islands. After a careful follow up, he came
to the conclusion that at best the numbers of the filaria carrier in Fiji can hardly be
reduced by more than j per cent.
The breeding places of Toxorhy~zcMes are usually vegetable ones, though occasionall>
larvae have been found in artificial breeding places.
Aote. Females of Toxovhynchifes species are rather variable in colourational characters, Thus,
closely related species and varieties are sometimes difficult to identify. Xoreover, often sexual
differeiices exist in some species and larvae do not show strikin g characters to help in identification.
Males are not so variable and are easier to recognize.
Toxorhynchites splendens Wiedemann 1S19
A large, beautiful mosquito with well developed lateral tufts of yellow, black and
orange hairs on terminal abdominal segments and with the proboscis strongly curved
downIvards and backwards in the middle, basal
half rigid (Fig. 5b).
ADULT. Female. Head with the scales
brightly coloured: green and blue with purple
reflections, a narrow pale border to the eyes;
the stout basal portion of the proboscis purple
or dark blue, palpi purple, about as long as first
six flagellar segments of the antenna; antenna1
hairs rather short, fine ancl sparse.
z@y772
I horax. Mesonotum with the scales greenish
:
A
6
a b
Fig. j. Toxovlq~ucl~ites, details of adult :
(17) win;; with T’-shaped thickening indicated br asterisk; (b) head of male showing curved proboscis.
metallic on dorsal surface; the scales at the sides may be somewhat bluish, those on scu-
tellum bluish green; afin covered with brassy scales ivith bluish reflections, or the scales
are blue or green; p@z bluish above, silvery below, scales on pleura silvery. Wings with
the membrane brownish, especially anteriorly; scales at base of wing deep blue or
purple. Legs with front and mid-femora purple, pale golden ventrally and posteriorly,
hind -pair mainly pale golden, purple dorsally on distal half; front tibia purple, with
usually some pale golden scaling posteriorly, mid-legs with the tibiae mainly pale golden,
purplish at base and apex; on hind pair the tibiae are purple, with greenish reflections;
tarsal ;marlting T:ariable, t3-tj on front and hind tarsi dark, LI of front tarsi white, with
dark basal ring and sometimes dark tip, a basal white ring on tz variable in width;
ornamentation of tI-tj on mid-legs very variable: sometimes entirely white except
for a dorsal dark mark at base of tI and a dark tip to t5; in some specimens the white
markings reduced to a subbasal white ring on tr and a basal white ring on tz; tz of hind
legs dark or with pale scaling, forming a more or less complete basal or subbasal band;