THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 49 



THE EGGS OF LUTZIA BIGOTII, BELLARDI (CULICID^l). 



BY ALLAN H. JENNINGS, ANCON, CANAL ZONE, PANAMA. 



On May 30, 1908, while collecting along a rapid mountain stream on 

 the Island of Caldera, Porto Bello Bay, Rep. Panama, I secured several 

 masses of mosquito eggs, which subsequently proved to be those of 

 Lutzia Bigotii. 



They were taken from a small pool in the rocky bank of the stream, 

 the water of which was supplied by the stream itself, the pool being nearly 

 filled with vegetable matter consisting of dead leaves, twigs, petals of 

 flowers, seeds, etc. 



.Nearly full-grown larvae of Lutzia were present, as well as many of 

 Anopheles eiseni and many of several species of Culex, none of the latter, 

 however, being bred. 



The eggs were cylindrical, about one thirty-second of an inch in 

 length, as nearly as could be estimated (no means of accurate measure- 

 ment being at hand), slender, and terminated in a nearly hemispherical 

 head of the same diameter as the body of the egg, which, however, was 

 drawn to a low point or apex. The body of the rod-like egg was of a pale 

 yellowish-white, with a metallic reflection appearing almost golden in 

 certain lights, while the apex or head, which was sharply defined, was of a 

 pale blue colour. 



The eggs were arranged in a double row, forming a raft or boat. 

 The largest mass contained twenty-five pairs, but with nothing to indicate 

 its original size. Several smaller masses were taken from the same pool, 

 but whether they had formed a part of the same or another raft it is 

 impossible to say. 



The eggs adhered to each other rather tenaciously, and did not 

 become separated by being poured into a collecting vial nor by the rather 

 rough journey back to camp. 



The "boat" floats low in the water, the rod-like portion being nearly 

 submerged, only the "head" showing above the surface. 



I should think that these eggs were laid during the night of May 28th. 



At 8 p.m. on May 30th, or presumably 48 hours after being laid, 

 hatching began, the young being easily identified, and showing the charac- 

 teristic attitude and habits of the larva of this species. They immediately 

 began preying voraciously upon each other, and materially reduced their 

 numbers before the next morning, when they were separated. 



February, 1909 



