MOSQUITO BIOLOGY 187 



HABITS OF THE ADULT 



Practically nothing is known of the habits of the adult. It has 

 never been taken, indoors or out, by any of the collectors, although 

 they have collected in the localities where the larvae were found. So 

 far we have only bred adults out of larvae coming from Delair and 

 Chester. The larva only has been taken at Lahaway. According to 

 Matheson (18), it can be found resting on trees in the holes of which 

 it breeds. It has been taken frequently in trap collections. 



The mosquito is a very pretty one when examined under a magnify- 

 ing glass, and by its narrow white lines on the thorax recalls the yel- 

 low fever mosquito ; indeed, it was at first placed in the same genus 

 — Aedes. There is nothing about it to indicate that it cannot bite ; but 

 so long as it remains so rare the question is hardly to be considered 

 important. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA 



Stout, chunky; when full grown 7-8 mm. (.28-.32 inch) in length, 

 exclusive of anal siphon. Grayish black with thorax somewhat lighter, 

 except head, siphon, and dorsal plating. Head purplish black, long as 

 broad, has straight sides, rounded in front and at base. Six equally 

 spaced hair tufts of five or six hairs each in transverse row on anterior 

 part of vertex, four central ones slightly to rear and lateral two very 

 close to base of antennae. Antennae short, dilated at basal third, 

 taper toward tip ; apex has two long spines, two smaller ones and little 

 articulated peg. Surface destitute of spines or hair, tuft situated on 

 shaft a little over one-fourth from base, consisting of about six feath- 

 ered hairs. Eyes small, transverse, surrounded by yellowish ring. 

 Rotary mouth brushes orange or yellowish, composed of simple hairs. 

 Mandible normal, maxillary palpus rather broad, square at base, with 

 obtuse apex and large apical tuft; basal joint long and slender. 

 Mentum is almost equilateral triangle with large apical tooth, then 

 five or six small lateral ones, blunt at tips ; four very large pointed 

 ones below these. Usually nine teeth on each side of the apex, but occa- 

 sionally one has ten. 



Thorax wider than long, very thick, anterior angles somewhat 

 sharply angulated. Six lateral hair tufts moderate in size, two small 

 tufts near anterior margin. 



Abdominal segments oblong or subquadrate, with five or six hairs 

 to each lateral tuft in two anterior segments and very slight tufts in 



