REPORT ON MOSOUITOES. i8i 



Description of the Adult. 



This mosquito measures 5 to 6 mm. ,=.20 to .24 of an inch in 

 length exckisive of the beak, which is about half the length of 

 the body. The occiput is densely covered with yellowish brown 

 scales ; the proboscis is black, without bands ; the palpi in the 

 female (fig. 53, 2) are purplish black, rather slender, four jointed, 

 the terminal joint minute and circular. In the male the palpi 

 (fig. 41, 10) are very long, three jointed, longer than the pro- 

 boscis by the two terminal joints; evenly dilated' from the tip 

 of the basal joint to the apex ; purplish in color, with a white 

 band in the middle of the basal joint, nearer the base ; the apical 

 two joints set with rather short hairs. The antennae are dark 

 brown in both sexes, the basal joint of the female yellowish. 



The thorax is brownish black, profusely sprinkled with creamy 

 yellow scales and the pleura are dark brown with a large irreg- 

 ular patch of grayish white scales. The femora are largely 

 yellowish, black toward the apices on the upper side, and with 

 a white dot at the knee. The tibiae and the tarsal joints are black 

 with purple reflections, those of the hind legs densely scaled, the 

 tibiae swollen at the apex, and the whole of the last two tarsal 

 joints and the apex of the middle joint white. The claws of the 

 male anterior and middle tarsal joints (fig. 53, 4 and 5) are 

 unequal, the larger with a curved, blunt median tooth and an 

 acute basal tooth, the smaller with a single tooth near the base, 

 the posterior claws (fig. 53, 6) equal, each with a single median 

 tooth. The female claws are equal on all feet, the anterior and 

 middle ones (fig. 53, 3) slightly sinuous, with a median tooth 

 nearer the base, the posterior like those of the male. 



The abdomen is deep metallic purple above, yellowish beneath, 

 the yellow extending up the sides at the apex of the segments, 

 showing slightly on the dorsal surface at the apical angles in the 

 last two or three segments. 



Habits of the Adult. 



One of the habits of the adult female Mr. Grossbeck describes 

 as follows : 



The persistence of this mosquito is almost incredible. On 

 invading its haunts, at first not a specimen may be seen ; but in 

 a few minutes it seems as though every individual in the locality 

 has concentrated on one's person. Brushing them away is a 

 mere waste of time for they return to the attack with double fury, 

 and their bite is very painful. So eager are they to insert their 



