122 INSeCUTOR INSCITI^ MENSTRUUS 



NOTES ON AEDES CURRIEI (COQUILLETT) 



(Diptera, Culicidce) 

 By HARRISON G. DrAR and FREDERICK KNAB 



This peculiar mosquito was first made known in North 

 America from the plains of North Dakota, under the name 

 Culex curriei Coquillett. In coloration it essentially resembles 

 Aides dorsalis (Meigen) of Europe, and it is doubtful if 

 Coquillett would ever have separated it therefrom except that, 

 through an error, he was led to believe that the claws of the 

 female were simple in one case and toothed in the other. The 

 error was subsequently corrected, but the species was left to 

 stand on account of what had been discovered in the meantime. 

 This was that mosquitoes of the same general habitus bred in 

 the tidal pools on the coast of California and others were 

 found in central New York State in the general vicinity of the 

 salt wells, while it was to be assumed that those from the 

 western plains bred in temporary pools of fresh water. Here 

 was an obvious difference in habit, indicating apparently three 

 species, one on the great western plains, one on the California 

 coast, and a third in the Atlantic region. These forms re- 

 ceived names as species, the Californian one being called quaylei 

 by Dyar & Knab from the larvae and lativittatus by Coquillett 

 on the adults. Those from New York were named ononda- 

 gensis by Dr. E. P. Felt. To add to the apparent difference of 

 these forms, Knab discovered the larvae of the inland curriei 

 in Saskatchewan and found marked differences in the num- 

 ber of head hairs and in the distinctness of the central spine of 

 the lateral comb scales. The larvae of the Pacific and Atlantic 

 forms proved to be much alike. In the monograph^ we rely 

 mainly on the larva in our separation of the forms, classing 

 quaylei as a race of onondagensis and holding them distinct 

 from curriei on this and on habits, curriei appearing to have 

 but a single spring generation in the water following the melt- 

 ing snow, while quaylei bred monthly in the high tide pools 

 along the coast. Of the habits of onondagensis we knew 



'Howard, Dyar & Knab, The Mos(]uitoes of North and Central ."Xmerica and the 

 West Indies, iv. 029-038. 1917. 



