The Mosquitoes of New Jersey 31 



Mosquito Species 

 Economically Important 



The Salt-Marsh Mosquito Group 



Six species breed more or less in the brackish water of the salt 

 marshes : Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say, A. crucians Wied., Aedes 

 sollicitans Wlk._, A. taeniorhynchus Wied., A. cantator Coq., and 

 Culex salinarius Coq. The first is essentially a member of the ma- 

 larial mosquito group and will be treated under that heading, the 

 second breeds both in the salt marsh and in swampy areas inland; 

 the other four breed exclusively on the salt marshes. 



The White-Banded Salt-Marsh Mosquito 

 (Aedes sollicitans Wlk.j 



This species of mosquito has a combination of color markings seen 

 in no other New Jersey species. A broad white band circles the 

 beak ; its feet are circled by broad white bands ; yellowish white 

 bands border the bases of the abdominal segments; a stripe of the 

 same color extends lengthwise along the dorsal aspect of the ab- 

 domen and its thorax is golden yellow with silvery-white sides. 



The stout compact larva is dirty gray or yellowish white in color 

 and furnished with a breathing tube which is not more than twice as 

 long as it is broad. Its antennae are not pendant and arise from the 

 sides of the anterior part of the head. It has four tracheal gills. 

 The scales are separate and form a large patch of twenty to forty 

 on each side of the eighth abdominal segment. Its head is plain — 

 practically without markings. 



Importance 



From the standpoint of territory covered, and the length of the 

 season during which it is troublesome, this species is the most im- 

 portant of all the salt-marsh group. Appearing in early spring in 

 South Jersey, it continues throughout the season and reaches its 

 greatest abundance in August and September. Beginning in mid- 

 summer north of Sandy Hook, it soon becomes the prevailing salt- 

 marsh form about the Raritan Bay, Arthur Kill and Newark Bay. 



Bred solely in the waters of the salt marshes, it rises and makes 

 its way inland for long distances — in some cases forty miles. In 



