108 MOSQUITOES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Some species, and among these may be counted many of those in temperate 

 and tropical regions, seem to have the appetite for blood but weakly developed. 

 Such species only bite occasionally and they have been observed sucking ripe 

 fruit, watermelons, and even boiled potatoes. 



With reference to certain species the observations of different authors conflict. 

 According to most writers the European Culiseta annulatus does not bite. 

 Ficalbi states that he has never known this species to bite either man or animals 

 and he believes it to be phytophagous. Theobald states that in England it bites 

 in some localities but does not do so in others. We believe that these discrep- 

 ancies may be explained by differences in season and in temperature. It may be 

 stated in a general way, that mosquitoes increase their activity in ratio with the 

 rising temperature and increasing humidity of the atmosphere. During hiber- 

 nation they show little inclination to feed, even when the temperature is com- 

 paratively high. It should be noted that in certain European species of Culicidse 

 which have long been associated with man, and the species just discussed is in- 

 cluded in these, the inclination to bite man seems to be weak at best. Perhaps 

 this can be explained in that the most blood-thirsty individuals would be the ones 

 to be destroyed ; thus, by a process of elimination, the least aggressive individuals 

 would be the ones to perpetuate the species and transmit this characteristic to 

 their offspring. 



Cold-blooded vertebrates are also attacked. Brakeley, of New Jersey, has 

 seen a black terrapin surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes, but she paid no 

 attention to them, possibly because she was engaged in egg-laying. It would be 

 an interesting observation to find whether the mosquitoes ever had an oppor- 

 tunity to pierce the terrapin eggs. Brakeley states that they also bite lizards, 

 snakes and frogs. Unfortunately we have no record of the species concerned. 



There are several records that mosquitoes have been seen to puncture the heads 

 of young fish, but these observations apply to biting flies of another family, 

 namely, Simuliidae. One of these observations was made by C. H. Murray in 

 the mountains of Colorado near the snow line. He found a small swarm of 

 " mosquitoes " circling about over a quiet shallow pool in a mountain stream ; 

 in this pool were very young trout and when these came to the surface of the 

 water they would be pounced upon by a " mosquito " and sucked to death. The 

 behavior of the insects, as described, suggests Simulium, as does the locality, and 

 it must be remembered that the observer was not an entomologist. P. Combes 

 gives an account of similar observations made in the island of Anticosti. He 

 calls the insects " moustiques," but from the detailed description of their habits 

 it is very clear that it was Simulium he had under observation. The confusion 

 has come about through the loose application of the popular term " mosquito " 

 or " moustique." 



But blood-sucking mosquitoes are by no means absolutely conflned to a verte- 

 brate diet. They attack other insects, particularly the soft-bodied ones, although 

 direct observations upon this point are rare. Veazie, of New Orleans, has seen 

 mosquitoes piercing a cicada, or " locust," as it is incorrectly called in this 

 country, and also the soft-skinned pupa of the same insect. Hagen has recorded 



