82 THK COMMON MOS(_)l ITOKS OF MINNESOTA 



the early part of the summer, lint this form seems to remain well 

 represented until autumn, a killing- frost ])eing necessary to bring- 

 about their disap])earance. 



It is a medium sized, dark brown or blackish mosquito, having 

 a i^rominent white band at the base of each tarsal segment. The 

 abdominal segments also bear white basal bands, which are so 

 strongly constricted in the middle as to appear divided into two. 



They appear very early in the season. In the vicinitv oi the 

 Twin Cities they, with Acdcs canadensis, are the first mosquitoes 

 to appear in the spring. Larvae may he collected in early May 

 and adults from late May and early June to early October. They 

 frequent the vicinity of houses, but seldom enter. Thev are. how- 

 ever, vicious and persistent biters. 



The life history is as ft)llo\vs : The wintei- is passed in the 

 egg stage, the eggs lying at the bottom of pools of water. These 

 eggs hatch in the early spring-, as soon as snow and ice are melted, 

 the resulting larvae producing the early invasion of mosciuitoeS; 

 which appears late in May or early in June. Brood succeeds brood 

 throughout the summer and early autumn as rapidly as conditions 

 allow. The eggs seem to hatch une\enl}- so that the succession of 

 l)roods is not well marked. 



They ])refer open pools and swam]:)s for oviposition, whether 

 of a itermanent or temporary nature. ( )ccasionall}' they are found 

 in woodland pools. They will not breed in water pollutetl with 

 sewage. The name of "Swamp Mosquito." which has been given it, 

 is very a|)plicable, as they are our commonest swamp-])reeding form. 



Cnlike the common domestic form. Ciilc.v pipicns, this mos- 

 cpiito can travel long distances from its breeding i)laces. as far as 

 five miles having been recorded, but it probably seldom goes more 

 than half a mile to a mile. 



The lar\a is of moderate size. varial)le in color. usuall\- with 

 dark spots on the head. The tuft on the antenna is one-third of the 

 distance from the base. The breathing tube is one and one-half to 

 three times as long as wide. The sj^ines on the siphon consist of 

 fourteen to eighteen in each row and may ha\e two to three heavy 

 teeth near the base. The scales on the eighth abdominal segment 

 are thorn-shaped, ten to fifteen in num])er, well separated and ar- 

 ranged in a double row. A \-erv short, fine fringe of hairs can be 

 seen on the edges. 



This species occurs from Xew jersey to British Columbia and 

 will probably be found all over Minnesota. We have taken it at 

 the following places: 



