Nine New Species of Neotropical Culex, Eight from Panama and One from Honduras (Diptera, Culicidae)

Abstract

In the present publication the authors describe nine new species of Culex from Middle America distributed among the following sub-genera: one Culex sens, str., one Microculex and seven Melanoconion. Six of the new species were collected in the course of extensive light trap surveys in Middle America, conducted by the authors and Dr. Harold Trapido; two were reared many years ago by the senior author and again picked up during the light trap survey and the Microculex has been, repeatedly collected as adult and larva by the senior author in the highlands of Panama. All type material has been deposited at the United States National Museum. Culex (Melanoconion) intonsus n. sp. Male.-A small, dark, unmarked Culex. Palpi longer than the proboscis. Antennae densely plumose. Male terminalia: Basistyle conical, about twice as long as its greatest width, bearing the usual decidious stiff hairs and two prominent setae, one at the base of the outer division of the subapical lobe and the other at the inner apical corner, near the insertion of the dististyle. Latter about one-half the length of the basistyle, narrowed at about the middle, then widened beyond distal half and finally tapered into a flat, upturned, snout-like tip; lower border with a marked swelling at the point where it begins to widen, bearing a prominent tuft of hairs; eye-seta inserted beyond this swelling; appendiculate spine widened at tip. Outer division of the subapical lobe of the basistyle a narrow column, bearing at the inner corner the usual hooked-tip filament and a slender, straight, rod-like appendage and on the outer corner the following appendages: inserted on the inner aspect of the column three slender closely appressed filaments with expanded