MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 75 



Thorax dark brown, with many golden yellow scales evenly scattered 

 over surface; pleura paler brown, with few small patches of white 

 scales. Femora and tibiae deep brown, yellowish beneath ; base of femora 

 and knee spots also yellowish ; tarsi brownish black, with very narrow 

 whitish rings at base of all joints, except the last in front and middle 

 legs. Claws of male in anterior and middle tarsal joints unequal in size, 

 larger with long median tooth, smaller with short basal tooth ; posterior 

 claws equal, each with median tooth nearer base. In female claws alike 

 on all feet, equal and with single tooth, as in male posterior feet. 



Abdomen in female dark brown, with band at base of segments con- 

 stricted in center and toward sides, where it joins lateral markings, 

 which extend upward from venter, so as to appear as two lunules placed 

 side by side. Penultimate segment has, in addition to basal band, narrow 

 apical one, slightly prolonged forward in middle ; last segment with 

 small apical band only. In male banding similar, but bands almost or 

 wholly divided in center and join the side markings without lateral con- 

 strictions. Abdomen creamy white beneath, with incomplete brown api- 

 cal bands. 



HABITS OF THE ADULT 



This is one of the species that delights in porches and gardens and 

 does its share toward the end of the season in making life miserable. It 

 will get through an open door or window, but will not attempt to crawl 

 through screens or work through crevices. It bites readily, but not very 

 viciously, the results being less painful than from either pipiens or the 

 salt marsh species. It is small, black, with narrowly white-banded legs 

 and banded abdomen. The abdominal bands, being constricted and al- 

 most divided in the middle, form one of the most certain means of recog- 

 nizing the species. There is considerable variation in size, it looks 

 smaller and chunkier than either pipiens, cant at or, or sollicitans. When 

 rubbed, a large specimen is sometimes very like cantator in appearance. 



It occurs throughout the state and season, though early in the year it 

 is found only in small numbers, and is rarely troublesome in towns or 

 about houses. Later, in August and early September, it is often the 

 dominant species, even close to or at the shore. Mr. Viereck reports it as 

 one of the troublesome species on porches at Cape May, and further in- 

 land it replaces the salt marsh forms as an extraterritorial species. Al- 

 though not a migrant like sollicitans or cantator, nevertheless vexans 

 is not a strictly local pest and often appears a considerable distance 

 from any known or possible breeding place. A mile or two is an easy 

 proposition for the species and five miles is not outside of its possibili- 



