THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 423 



NOTE ON THE OVIPOSITION OF AEDES CALOPUS 



MEIGEN. 



BY JAMES ZETEK, ANCON, CANAL ZONE. 



The writer was taking the adults from a lot of breeding cages 

 and, by accident, one female Aedes calopus escaped. Hardly more 

 than two minutes later he turned his attention to an uncovered 

 cage containing water and larva? of Culex coronator D & K, and 

 discovered a mosquito resting on the side of the jar, the tip of its 

 abdomen extending and touching the water, depositing eggs. This 

 occurred at 4.10p.m., July 2nd, 1913. The mosquito was ^.ra/o/)M.y, 

 and most probably was the one that had escaped a moment before. 

 The cage was covered with gauze. 



When the cages were examined at 1.00 a. m., July 5th, very 

 young larvae of the yellow-fever mosquito were seen in this particu- 

 lar jar. The egg instar is about 60 hours. These larvae were al- 

 lowed to mature, and from them emerged 14 9 and 18 & adults. 



The female which had deposited these eggs had no blood meal, 

 nor any other food than which was present in the air and 

 water. In the original cages of Aedes calopus, copulation was fre- 

 quently noted, occurring chiefly in the daytime. In the act the 

 male is underneath, clasping the female, the two mosquitos facing 

 each other. The male clasped the female as frequently in flight 

 as when at rest. In one cage, containing one male and many fe- 

 males, the male copulated three successive times during the half 

 hour under observation. 



The rapidity with which the mosquito found water suitable 

 for oviposition after its escape is remarkable, and places emphasis 

 upon the cautions to be taken while working with disease-transmit- 

 ting insects or pests. 



PHLEBOTOMUS AND VERRUGA. 



It w)uld appear that an addition is likely t3 be made to the 

 ever-increasing number of cases of the relation of insects to disease. 

 In certain of the valleys of the Pacific slope of the Peruvian Andes, 



December, 1913 



