The Mosquitoes of Canada 71 



THE MOSQUITOES OF CANADA. 



By Harrison G. Dyar, A.M., Ph.D. 



United States National Museum. 



Mosquitoes are small two-winged flies belonging to the Order Diptera 

 Family Culicidae, Subfamily Culicinae, and can generally be recognized 

 by the long firm proboscis adapted for piercing. Not all mosquitoes, 

 however, bite warm-blooded animals — ^there is one Canadian species 

 which does not do so; but most of them are voracious bloodsuckers, and 

 readily attack man. The species of the genus Aedes, which constitute 

 the bulk of the Canadian fauna, attack boldly, often by daylight, although 

 their favourite time is the dusk of early evening. These species bite once, 

 gorging themselves completely if given the opportunity, and then fly 

 away. The species of Culex, on the other hand, which are practically 

 absent from the northern forests, but are found in the warmer open 

 country and especially in cities, bite in the dark of night, and if even 

 slightly alarmed, immediately leave their victim, but only to return later, 

 A person may thus be bitten twenty times in a single night by one Culex, 

 but only once by a single Aedes. 



In the tropics, a number of diseases are conveyed by mosquitoes; but 

 in Canada, there is danger of but one — 'malaria'. This is conveyed by 

 certain species of Anopheles. Of these, two species which are known 

 malaria-carriers occuir in Canada, a third known carrier may occur, and 

 there is a fourth species which has not been tested in this relation. 



Key to the Tribes and Genera of Canadian Mosquitoes. 



Metanotum with a tuft of setae Tribe Sabethini 



Genus Wyeomyia, Theobald 

 Metanotum nude Tribe Culicini 



1. Wings with the second marginal cell less than half as long as its 



petiole Genus Uranotaenia, Lynch Ambalzaga 



Wings with the second marginal cell at least half as long as its 

 petiole 2 



2. ScHtellum rounded, not lobed Genus Anopheles, Meigen 



Scutellum distinctly trilobed 3 



3. Cross-veins tending to lie in line, the posterior close to the anterior, 



or mesonotum with bare impressed discolorous lines, or both. 



Genus Culiseta Felt 

 Cross- veins normal; mesonotal integument uniform 4 



