REPORT ON THE MOSQUITOES OF THE COAST REGION OF 

 CALIFORNIA. WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. 



By Harrison (t. Dyar. 



Acting Asmstdiit C'tmitur, JJivision of /jj^er^s-, U. S. Nttlional Museum. 



The writer visited California to make collections for the United States 

 National Museum with the idea that there were l)ut few species of mos- 

 quitoes to be found there, and those mostly well known. The larvae of 

 a few were desired, and these it was hoped to find. Most of the time, 

 May >^ to July 21, was spent in the vicinity of Los Angeles, after the 

 seasonal rains were over. The country soon became very dry, but it was 

 evident that few of the species, so characteristic of the temporary pools 

 in the East, exist on the coast of California, except those supplied by 

 the periodical high tides, so that there was little loss on this account. 

 Practically all the species belong- to the group inhabiting permanent 

 water, something of a paradox for an arid country that is supposed to 

 have no permanent water, and where all the streams go dry. The 

 condition is that temporary water is so exceedingly temporary that no 

 larv» can exist in it; all the water that gathers belongs to the per- 

 manent type, in lakes, marshes, pools in river beds, well holes, and 

 barrels. 



Eighteen species were met with in the coast region from San Diego 

 to Eureka. The mountains were not explored. They should yield a 

 different set of species, probably some of the temporary pool species 

 that breed in snow water. I was told that mosquitoes were abundant 

 and troublesome this season in the Yosemite Valley, but had no oppor- 

 tunity to investigate them. 



ANOPHELES MACULIPENNIS Meigen." 



The "malarial mosquito'' was not uncommon in marshes, though 

 none were seen in town. Specimens were taken at Tia Juana, Mexico, 

 Gardena, Sweetwater Junction, Laguna, San Onofre, Salinas, Guada- 

 loupe. Eureka, Sisson, and Thrall, California, mostly as larvje in per- 

 manent water. 



«This name will have to be changed. In a paper with Mr. Knab I have shown the 

 corrected nomenclature. The California form is Anopheles occidentalis Dyar and 

 Knab. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. XXXII— No. 1 51 6. 



V21 



