Aquatic JLitt 



19 



>w 



The Birth of a Mosquito 



Photographs by the author : Enlarged three and one- half diameters 



clothe the insect, giving it a beautiful 

 iridescent appearance. The female which 

 has smaller and less ornate antennae than 

 the male, sucks blood, and is provided 

 with a sheathed set of lancets for punc- 

 turing the skin. The male, not being so 

 equipped, is comparatively inoffensive, 

 feeding on plant and other juices as does 

 the common house fly; in a few species 

 both sexes are said to bite, but usually 

 the female only is the offender. The 

 peculiar buzzing note of the female at- 



tracts the male, he being enabled to rec- 

 ognize her call by means of the vibra- 

 tions of the hairs on his plumose an- 

 tennae, these acting as recorders of 

 sound. After impregnation the eggs are 

 deposited on the water, often in several 

 batches. To accomplish this the female 

 stands on the surface film, steadying 

 herself by grasping with the fore legs 

 some floating particle such as duck- 

 weed. As the eggs are laid they are 

 fastened together with a waterproof 



