MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 73 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA 



Resembles Culex pipiens so closely that the figure on page 69 serves 

 for both species ; differs from C. pipiens as follows : Antenna pale 

 brown, whitish at basal half with tuft well below middle ; hairs compos- 

 ing tuft shorter, only ten to fifteen in number, situated on compara- 

 tively small offset. Surface covered with hairlike spines ; apex with one 

 long and two shorter spines, few short hairs and small joint. Mentum 

 peculiarly shaped, almost square, rounded at apical margin and exca- 

 vated inwardly at base. Each side has three or four teeth, central ones 

 largest ; anterior margin has from seventeen to twenty-three small, 

 evenly shaped teeth. Anal siphon similar to that of C. pipiens, both spe- 

 cies varying in length somewhat ; but a few more spines to lateral row in 

 territans. Anal gills long, not pointed, with circular spots scattered 

 over surface. 



HABITS OF THE EARLY STAGES 



Eggs appear as in pipiens. In general appearance and habits the lar- 

 vae are also similar ; but territans is not found in really foul water, in 

 my experience. In life the two species are readily discriminated by the 

 antennae, which are always prominently spread out, so that the posi- 

 tion of the tuft is readily noted. The wrigglers occur in the pails quite 

 as early as those of pipiens, as late as October. 



FRESH WATER SWAMP GROUP 



[The notable members of the fresh water swamp group are Aedes 

 vexans and Mansonia perturhans. Vexans passes the winter as an egg in 

 depressions in upland soil ; perturhans winters as a larva fastened to 

 the roots of aquatic plants in soft bottomed ponds and swamps. Vexans 

 lays her eggs on moist mud in depressions or on the edges of fresh water 

 pools, perturhans lays them in star-shaped groups on the surface of the 

 water. Vexans has a determined flight range of at least fifteen miles, 

 while perturhans has also been traced for fifteen miles.] 



Aedes vexans Meigen 

 The Swamp Mosquito 



DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZATION 



[North America from Canada to northern Mexico. Trapped 286,314 

 females in New Jersey.] 



