Systematic Position and Structure 



possess some knowledge of the general anatomy of 

 all the forms assumed during the life of the insect. 



Systematic Position.— The mosquitoes belong 

 to the family Culicidae, under the order of Diptera, 

 which includes all flies 

 and gnats. The family 

 is characterised by the 

 possession of a single 

 pair of membranous 

 wings, the hinder pair 

 being represented by 

 two little, stemmed 

 knobs called the halt- 

 eres or balancers ; by 

 a suctorial mouth and 

 many-jointed antennae. 

 The word " mosquito " 

 comes from the Spanish 

 "mosco," meaning a fly. 



Anatomy of the 

 Adults. — All mosqui- 

 toes do not, by any 

 means, look alike. They 

 vary exceedingly, both 

 in colour and in size. 

 Some are plain brown, FlG - h-™*&*m of mouth parts 



. . , . . of adult female, from below, 



some black and white, greatly en]arged; /, lacinia; A pa]pi . 



Others yellow or irides- f er ; id, labium; g, galea; /&, hypo- 

 cent, — gorgeous fellows pharynx; a, part of antenna; /, 

 some of them, spotted P al P lls - ( Ada P ted from Smith 

 and streaked in all sorts of combinations. The legs 

 of certain of them remind one of a visit to Sing- 



