MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 



GENERAL LIFE CYCLE 



ALL MOSQUITOES go through a life cycle of four stages — adult, ^gg, 

 L. larva (or wriggler), and pupa. The adult is a two-winged free-fly- 

 ing gnat varying from less than a quarter to fully one-half of an inch 

 from head to tail. There are about an equal number of males and fe- 

 males. The females lay the eggs, small objects, just visible to the sharp 

 naked eye, individually. From the ^gg hatches the larva, which is free- 

 swimming and must have water charged with food materials and of fa- 

 vorable temperature in order to live. When larval development is com- 

 plete the larva transforms to a pupa, which takes no food, but swims 

 about through the water. This stage also requires water but can persist 

 for some time in wet mud. During the pupal period changes go on within 

 the pupal skin that transform the old larva into the winged adult. When 

 the pupal period has been completed, the pupal skin over the thorax 

 splits open longitudinally, the adult slowly draws itself out, the wings 

 expand, the cuticle hardens, and the new adult flies away about its 

 business. 



In its relation to man, the species occurring in New Jersey may be 

 classified into the following groups : salt marsh ; household ; fresh water 

 swamp ; woodland pool ; malarial ; and miscellaneous. 



SALT MARSH BREEDING GROUP 

 [The notable members of the salt marsh group are Aedes cantator, 



A. sollicitans, A. taeniorhynclius. Anopheles crucians, and Culex sali- 

 narius. The first three members of this group lay their eggs on the 

 moist mud of the salt marshes to hatch when covered by water under 



* The bulk of the material in this chapter has been taken directly from Dr. John 



B. Smith's 1904 Report of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station upon 

 the Mosquitoes Occurring Within the State, Their Habits, Life History, etc. The 

 material used from Dr. Smith has not been put into direct quotation marks because 

 parts have been deleted, and the wording in some instances changed. Interpolated 

 paragraphs by the author are enclosed in brackets. All quotations from other sources 

 are indicated. 



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