Stegomyia (steg-o-mi'e-ah)

A genus of mosquitoes, of the order Diptera and the family Culicidae. Its head and scutellum have flat scales, the legs are banded, and the thorax often shows lines of a white or yellowish color. It bites chiefly in the afternoon. It is found all over the world. S. calopus. A species with white bands on the legs and two median white lines with laterally curved silvery lines on the thorax. The palpi are short like those of Culex and the larvae have a long respiratory siphon. It spreads yellow fever by biting infected persons and sucking up the blood, and later on injecting the unknown cause of the disease into a healthy person, during the act of biting. S. fasci at a. See 5. calopus. [Gr., stegos, a chamber, + myia, a gnat.]