Culicidce, or Mosquitoes 101 



The majority of mosquitoes in temperate climates hibernate in 

 the egg stage, hatching in the spring or even mild winter days in water 

 from melting snow. It is such single-brooded species which appear in 

 astounding numbers in the far North. Similarly, in dry regions the 

 eggs may stand thorough dessication, and yet hatch out with great 

 promptness when submerged by the rains. "Another provision to 

 insure the species against destruction in such a case, exists in the fact 

 * * * that not all the eggs hatch, a part of them lying over until 

 again submerged by subsequent rains." In temperate North 

 America, a few species pass the winter in the larval state. An inter- 

 esting illustration of this is afforded by Wyeomia smithii, whose 

 larvae live in pitcher plants and are to be found on the coldest winter 

 days imbedded in the solid ice. Late in the spring, the adults emerge 

 and produce several broods during the summer. 



In the United States, one of the most important facts which has 

 been brought out by the intensive studies of recent years is that cer- 

 tain species are migratory and that they can travel long distances and 

 become an intolerable pest many miles from their breeding places. 

 This was forcibly emphasized in Dr. Smith's work in New Jersey, 

 when he found that migratory mosquitoes, developing in the salt 

 marshes along the coast, are the dominant species largely responsible 

 for the fame of the New Jersey mosquito. The species concerned are 

 Aedes sollicitans, A. cantator and A. t&niorhynchus. Dr. Smith 

 decided that the first of these might migrate at least forty miles 

 inland. It is obvious that where such species are the dominant pest, 

 local control measures are a useless waste of time and money. Such 

 migratory habits are rare, however, and it is probable that the 

 majority of mosquitoes do not fly any great distance from their 

 breeding places. 



While mosquitoes are thought of primarily as a pest of man, there 

 are many species which have never been known to feed upon human 

 or mammalian blood, no matter how favorable the opportunity. 

 According to Howard, Dyar, and Knab, this is true of Culex territans, 

 one of the common mosquitoes in the summer months in the Northern 

 United States. There are some species, probably many, in which 

 the females, like the males, are plant feeders. In experimental work, 

 both sexes are often kept alive for long periods by feeding them upon 

 ripe banana, dried fig, raisins, and the like, and in spite of sweeping 

 assertions that mosquitoes must have a meal of blood in order to 

 stimulate the ovaries to development, some of the common blood- 



