26 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ciently abundant as to be seriously troublesome. The larv'ae or 

 wrigglers of all mosquitoes require water for development. Those 

 of a few species are limited to such peculiar situations as potholes, 

 cavities in tree trunks, and one Xew York species occurs only in the 

 water of pitcher plants. The more abundant species do not limit 

 breeding so closely, though many have such a well-marked prefer- 

 ence for grassy pools, woodland pools, brackish water, etc., that 

 identiiication of the mosquito affords a valuable guide to the 

 probable breeding place. 



Malarial mosquitoes. Anopheles, are easily recognized by the 

 usually spotted wings and especially by the characteristic resting 

 position, the beak and body being in almost a straight line and at a 

 considerable angle to the supporting surface. The larvae or wrig- 



Fig. 9 Common and malarial mosquitos at rest, the latter to the right. (Reduced 

 from Howard, U. S. Dep't Agr. Div. Bui. 25. n. 5. 1900) 



glers have no conspicuous air tube and remain in a characteristic 

 nearly horizontal resting position just beneath the surface film. 

 They are usually rather strongly marked with bright or dark brown 

 and green. The larvae occur commonly in springs or water holes, 

 in stream beds, occasionally along the edges of running streams, 

 and not infrequently in grassy pools. The adults are rarely numer- 

 ous, fly at twilight, and are of importance largely because certain 

 species mav carrv malaria. Breeding is more or less continuous 

 during the warm months of the year, the mosquitoes wintering in 

 any shelter, frequently in houses, and occasionally flying in mid- 

 winter. The most common species in Xew \ork State is Ano- 

 pheles punctipennis Say, a strongly marked form, while 

 A . m a c u 1 i p e n n i s ^leign. is less abundant and the more 

 common malaria carrier. 



