544 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [VOL. 5° 



the pair drifting away toward the ground and the union lasting but 

 a short time. They copulate face to face, grasping each other with 

 their long legs, the female in the upper position, the male back 

 downward. This day proved the maximum of activity for this 

 species of mosquito. No more swarming of males or matings were 

 observed. On June io there was a very high wind, which kept the 

 mosquitoes close to cover. Only a few came to bite, but these were 

 very bloodthirsty. They would rise out of the grass to leeward and 

 fly against the wind, alighting with a perceptible momentum. 



June ii was a hot day, with only light wind. The female mos- 

 quitoes appeared less numerous than two days previously. The 

 males were abundant on willow blooms, busily probing for honey. 1 

 None were seen swarming. 



June 12 was warm but windy, yet the males were still found upon 

 the willow catkins, although they could maintain their hold only 

 with difficulty. High winds continued for five days and nothing 

 was seen of the mosquitoes. On June 18 the males had nearly all 

 disappeared ; there were none on the willow catkins and only a very 

 few could be found by beating grass and bushes. The females were 

 still in evidence. 



This species is strictly diurnal and is only active in full daylight. 

 It hides in the grass of the prairie until disturbed or attracted by 

 some passing animal. It appears that the habit of this prairie mos- 

 quito, of flying toward prominent objects, under normal conditions 

 brings it to its source of food, some large warm-blooded animal. 

 The blood-sucking habit is doubtless normal in this species, and 

 other foods, such as the honey of flowers, are to be looked upon as 

 supplementary when blood is not available. The idea that but few 

 mosquitoes can obtain a meal of blood is entirely erroneous — at 

 least with reference to this species. In former times the prairie 

 teemed with warm-blooded animals, of which the great herds of 

 bison, the antelopes, and deer need only be mentioned. At the pres- 

 ent day man, horses, and cattle furnish an abundant supply of blood. 

 On the other hand, in the male this same habit of gathering around 

 prominent objects leads them to the same places to which the females 

 are attracted for food, and thus the union of the sexes is brought 

 about. 



AEDES FLETCHERI Coquillett 



Larvae of this species in the second stage were found on May 19. 

 They frequented the larger ditches and pools and appeared to be 



1 Knab, Frederick : Mosquitoes as flower visitors. Jotlrn. N. Y. Entom. Soc, 

 vol. xv, 1907, pp. 215. 



