MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 155 



base, sparsely toward tip, apex has three long spines, short one and 

 small joint. Rotary mouth brushes composed of simple hair, mentum 

 almost equilateral triangle with nine to thirteen small teeth on each side 

 of apex. Maxillary palpus normal, apical tuft moderate, basal joint 

 small and stout, surface thickly covered with patches of hair and some 

 small spines. Mandible normal in form but peculiar by having three 

 curved dorsal spines. 



Thorax circular in outline with six lateral hair tufts issuing from 

 acute, darkly infuscated tubercles ; no tuft on anterior margin. 



Abdominal segments subquadrate on anterior segments, becoming 

 elongated posteriorly, with lateral hair tufts of two hairs each ; except 

 first two segments which have four or five hairs to tuft. Eighth segment 

 has short tufts only and bears lateral combs. These consist of twelve 

 scales each, arranged in irregular single row. Scales elongated, with 

 short, fine, lateral hairs on apical two thirds. Anal siphon four times as 

 long as broad, yellow or pale brown, tapering slightly on apical half. 

 Double row of spines has from twelve to sixteen spines in each, apical 

 two separated from rest and from each other ; individual spines slender, 

 each with one large tooth and often one to four very small ones below 

 it. Ninth segment considerably longer than broad, with dorsal plate 

 extending lower than middle ; double dorsal tuft and ventral brush nor- 

 mal, latter with several small tufts below barred area. Anal gills slender, 

 longer than ninth segment. 



HABITS OF THE EARLY STAGES 



There is every reason to believe that this species winters in the egg 

 stage ; first, because it has been found very early in the larval stage, in 

 company with species which are known to winter that way and, second, 

 because the larva has been found in pools dry during the winter and 

 only filled by the spring rains. The earliest date of larvae collected was 

 April 7, from which adults of this species were obtained April 13. It 

 may be in place here to say that these larvae are so much like others 

 that are found in the same pools early in spring that unless attention is 

 especially directed to them they readily escape recognition. The fact 

 that this species is not a larval hibernate was definitely settled when, on 

 April 15, nearly mature larvae were found in a pool that had been com- 

 pletely dry during the winter. It is fair to conclude from records of 

 capture that there are no late broods. 



This is classed among the local breeders ; that is, a species which one 

 can count upon finding every year in about the same places ; but which 

 does not occur in all bodies of water even under similar conditions. 



