216 THE MOSQUITOES OF NEW JERSEY 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA 



When full grown 5-5.5 mm. (.20-.22 inch) in length to end of ninth 

 segment ; yellowish brown or grayish. Head small, elongated, broadest 

 immediately behind eyes, excavated little before antennae and rounded 

 in front. Generally an even dark brown, though often irregularly 

 marked with yellow or pale brown. Four stout setae arise from vertex in 

 anterior part, each from separate pit, pits so arranged as to form 

 squares ; small tuft of four or five hairs also at base of each antenna. 

 Antennae uniformly brown, rather short, sparsely set with short spines, 

 terminating with two very long spines, two shorter ones and small joint ; 

 tuft represented by single stout seta situated one-third from base. Ro- 

 tary mouth brushes small, composed of simple hair. Mentum triangular, 

 very chunky, with nine or eleven blunt teeth, largest at apex, smallest 

 toward base. Mandible and maxillary palpus also both chunky, former 

 peculiar by group of blunt black teeth and four dorsal spines, one of 

 which finely comb-toothed, while latter has no apical tuft, but thickly 

 clothed with short hairs, basal joint small, with four very long, blunt 

 terminal spines. 



Thorax angular, at least one and one-half times as broad as long, 

 each lateral angle giving rise to long hair tufts. Two smaller tufts on 

 anterior margin and six stellate hairs, two in anterior part and four in 

 posterior part on dorsal surface. 



Abdominal segments subequal, rather deeply constricted at sutures. 

 Lateral prominences of anterior two segments have each about four long 

 hairs, following segments with only short stellate hairs at sides. On dor- 

 sal surface each segment has two other stellate hairs, in addition to lat- 

 eral ones. Eighth segment has large lateral plates, with row of six to 

 nine stout spines on posterior edge, each spine finely fringed with hairs 

 at sides. Anal siphon three to three and one-half times as long as broad, 

 only a little narrower at apex than at base, slightly concave ; apex with 

 four processes, so dilated as to flare at tip. 



Lateral rows of spines composed of from twelve to fourteen each, 

 single spine destitute of basal teeth, but fringed with fine long hairs at 

 base and apex. Ninth segment longer than broad, with anal gills about 

 as long as this segment ; double dorsal tuft and ventral brush composed 

 of long hairs of equal length, latter very small confined to barred area. 



HABITS OF THE EARLY STAGES 



Dr. Smith quotes Dr. Dyar*s description, with which he agrees : 

 "The eggs form a boat-shaped mass floating on the surface of the 



