Dec, 1907. J Knab : Mosquitoes as Flower Visitors. 217 



Theo. during my stay in Saskatchewan. I shall give some particulars 

 of the life history of this species as they throw some light on its feed- 

 ing habits. This species develops in immense numbers from the 

 numerous ditches and temporary pools of snow-water scattered over 

 the prairie. The females are voracious blood-suckers and in the 

 early part of the summer make life on the prairie a torture for man 

 and beast. The species is strictly diurnal. The season was an unusu- 

 ally late one this year and the first mosquitoes were seen flying on 

 May 30. The first males were seen swarming on June 5. After 

 several cold, damp days the mosquitoes were again active on June 

 9, the females biting, the males swarming. The following day there 

 was a very high wind which confined the mosquitoes to their retreats 

 in the grass. June 11 was a hot day with only light wind. On an 

 excursion into the prairie, early in the afternoon, the female mos- 

 quitoes were found much fewer in number, perhaps as a result of the 

 great heat. No males were seen swarming, as had been the case on 

 previous favorable days. However, upon examining the willow bushes 

 along the margins of ponds and ditches the males were found in 

 numbers upon the willow catkins. Often there were five or six on 

 one catkin, confining themselves to that part of it which was in full 

 bloom. They climbed about on the stamens and probed down 

 amongst them to get the honey. They appeared very eager in this 

 work, plunging the proboscis down for a second then quickly with- 

 drawing it to reinsert it in another place, sometimes even scrambling 

 over each other in their eagerness. The palpi, together with the 

 antennae, are held erect nearly at right angles to the proboscis. There 

 were also a few females at the willow catkins, feeding in the same 

 manner as the males but less eagerly. The following day, June 12, 

 was warm but very windy. Along the river bank the mosquitoes 

 were again found abundant upon the willow blooms, and this in spite 

 of the high wind which must have made it very difficult for them to 

 maintain their position. As before, most of the mosquitoes on the 

 catkins were males. Although there was an abundance of flowers of 

 various kinds on the prairie at this time none of these were visited by 

 the mosquitoes. A period of continuous violent wind followed. 

 When this had subsided the mosquitoes were again investigated on 

 June 18. The males had now nearly all disappeared; there were 

 none upon the willow catkins and only a very few could be obtained 

 by beating. 



