220 THE MOSQUITOES OF NEW JERSEY 



about, among the pitcher plants, apparently engaged in ovipositing, 

 and they paid not the slightest attention to him. 



Since the spring of 1901 hundreds of specimens have been annually 

 bred in my laboratory and often examples escape. On one solitary occa- 

 sion a specimen alighted upon my hand resting on the back of a chair, 

 and I kept very quiet for several minutes watching it. It moved about a 

 little, touched the surface with its beak several times with a sort of jab- 

 bing motion ; but made no real attempt to puncture. It tried to assume 

 the resting position but seemed to be annoyed by the hair on the hand 

 and after shifting about for a little flew away to seek more satisfactory 

 quarters. It is the first and only time that a New Jersey mosquito of 

 any kind declined the opportunity to feast upon me ! 



The resting position, incidentally, is peculiar ; the head points down- 

 ward at an angle between the front legs, and the hind legs are curled 

 over so far as to give the insect the appearance of attempting a somer- 

 sault and being caught midway in the attempt. 



The adults do not make their appearance under natural conditions 

 until the end of May, and issue irregularly until the end of October or 

 even early November. 



They are found throughout the southern part of the state wherever 

 the pitcher plant grows ; but the larvae do not seem to inhabit pitcher 

 plants in the Passaic swamps so generally. We have found them only in 

 1904 and then not common. Just why they should not occur there so 

 abundantly I am unable to say, unless these northern swamps are 

 enough colder in summer to prevent free development. 



Nothing has been observed as to the length of adult life and nothing 

 is known of their feeding habits. They have been seen apparently ovi- 

 positing during the day, but never in large numbers. I have never found 

 them on flowers and the inference is that they are, under ordinary con- 

 ditions, active only at night. 



There is little or no difference in appearance between the sexes. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA 



When full grown averages 5—6 mm. (.20— .24 inch) in length, exclud- 

 ing anal siphon, many specimens attain length of 7 mm. Creamy white 

 with head slightly darker. Head rounded, pentagonal, almost as long as 

 broad. Antennae small, uniformly pale brown, tuft represented by sin- 

 gle hair which issues from shaft slightly over one-fourth its length from 

 apex; apex with several small spines and one longer one. Eyes very 

 small, round, but often (especially in large larvae) have crescent- 

 shaped mark immediately before them. Rotary mouth brushes bright 



