Taxonomic Importance of the Terminal Segments of Psychodid Larvæ

Abstract

ALTHOUGH in the last quarter of a century a considerable amount of advance has been made in various parts of the world towards the classification and morphology of the imago of the family Psychodidæ, our systematic knowledge of the immature stages of the group is surprisingly scanty. This is perhaps due in the first place to the secluded nature of the breeding places of the members of this family, and secondly to the fact that, unless and until the complete life-history of each species is studied thoroughly in the laboratory, one is not in a position to place an egg, a larva, or a pupa to a particular species. While engaged in the breeding of sandflies at the Kala-azar Research Laboratory of the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, I had an excellent opportunity of studying the immature stages and more especially the larvæ of the species occurring locally.