MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 147 



erate in their motions and habitually remain long below the water. They 

 can be seen browsing along the sides of the jar well below the surface; 

 feeding on the green Protococcus that grows there. Occasionally they 

 rise and push the breathing tube through the surface film for a few sec- 

 onds, but they do not remain hanging there, but shortly descend to re- 

 sume browsing. The anal processes are long and well supplied with 

 trachae, which permits the larvae to remain long under water." 



A edes aurifer Coquillet 

 The Golden -Scaled Mosquito 



DISTEIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZATION 



[Northeastern United States west to Ontario and Minnesota. In 

 New Jersey one specimen has been trapped.] 



Characterized by long, black, unhanded legs, femora yellow inwardly, 

 unhanded beak and uniformly colored abdomen. Golden yellow scales 

 on sides of thorax, leaving black central band on disc ; posterior part of 

 disc also has yellow scales arranged in longtitudinal lines. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADULT 



Medium size, not very robust ; body 5.5 mm., or not quite one-quarter 

 inch long ; beak about one-half length of body ; wings when expanded 

 measure 10 mm., or .40 inch across. Sides of head taken up by large 

 black eyes which almost meet on top of anterior part. Vertex back of 

 eyes clothed with golden yellow scales. Beak black, palpi in female short, 

 four- jointed, two central joints moderately long, bristle-like set with 

 scales ; apical joint small, slightly longer than wide, covered with fine 

 short hair, basal segment destitute of scales, but with a few hairs on 

 apical part. Male palpi longer than beak, black, with some hairs of fan- 

 like tufts, whitish, and stalk of basal segment with slight angulation 

 near middle. Antennae of male plumose, blackish, with twelve cup-like 

 joints surrounded with circle of fine long hair, and two long, slender 

 terminal segments set with fine short hair ; base of apical one with circle 

 of six long bristles. Female antenna has usually twelve long, narrow 

 joints covered with short hair, each set with six long bristles at base. 



Thorax has undefined black central band, broken in posterior part by 

 irregular lines of golden yellow scales and edged with scales of same 

 color which extend for short distance down sides and intermingle with 

 patch of white scales. Legs all black, with femur and inner side of tibia 

 Yellowish. In male anterior claw- joint excavated inwardly, and set with 



