Rural School Leaflet 



ii/5 



INSECT STUDY 



MOSQUITOES* 

 Glenn W. Herrick 



Within very recent years perfectly satisfactory proof has been given 

 that some species of mosquitoes carry the germs of certain diseases from 

 one person to another. 



For example, certain """yawn k\ /•') 



mosquitoes, known 

 as Anopheles, carry 

 the germs of malaria 

 from one individual 

 to another. Moreover, 

 another species of 

 mosquitoes, which 

 occurs in the warmer 

 parts of the earth, in- 

 oculates persons with 

 yellow fever. In fact, 

 we have come to be- 

 lieve that the only 

 way in which these 

 two diseases are 

 spread from one per- 

 son to another is 

 through the bites of 

 these tiny insects. 

 Since these discover- 

 ies were made, the 

 hum of a mosquito 

 has come to have an entirely new meaning to us. Hitherto our only 

 thought was to kill the insect in order to prevent its annoying us; now 

 we see visions of sick-beds, feverish patients, suffering, and, in many cases, 

 death. Naturally, a great deal of interest in mosquitoes has been aroused. 



There are many different kinds of mosquitoes in New York State, but 

 not over a half dozen of them are at all common about our houses and 

 only one of them is positively known to carry all the different types of 

 malaria. This one, however, seems to occur everywhere in New York 

 State in sufficient numbers to carry malaria to many persons. 



Life history of a common mosquito. — The common house mosquito, 

 Culex, lays its eggs in boat-shaped masses (Fig. i,d) on the surface of 



* Mosquitoes are sucking insects. 



Fig. i. — Life story of a Culex mosquito: {a) and (c) females; 

 (b) male; (d) eggs; (e) young " whalers "; (/) full-grown 

 larva, or " wiggler " ; (g) larva in feeding position at 

 surface of water; (h) pupa. All enlarged. (Adapted 

 from Howard) 



