MOSQUITOS OR CULICIDAE OF NEW YORK 



INTRODUCTION 



Mosquitos, individually and eollectively, have long forced them- 

 selves on the attention of mankind/but it is only within recent years 

 that they have received careful scientific study and that the prac- 

 ticability of abating the annoyance and injury caused by them has 

 been demonstrated. The discoveries that certain species conveyed 

 malaria and yellow fever aroused great interest in this group. 

 This is well illustrated by what we knew a few years ago compared 

 with the present time. Our leading dipterist in 1878, published 

 a list containing 33 species, which represented all that were then 

 known to occur in North America ; and only three years ago Dr 

 Howard stated that there were about 24 species in the United 

 States. Today over 50 have been found in New York or adjacent 

 states, the latter under conditions which lead us to believe that 

 they also exist within our boundaries. It is very likely that the 

 total number of mosquitos in North America, is treble that 

 known 25 years ago. A monograph of the mosquitos of the world 

 published in 1901, by F. V. Theobald, lists 343 species, and within 

 two years, owing to active collecting and study by scientists all 

 over the world, a third volume has been issued, describing 88 addi- 

 tional species, making a total of over 430. It is very probable 

 that since this volume was published, at least 20 new forms have 

 been characterized. It would not surprise us, if within a year or 

 two this list of species of the entire world, of an heretofore incon- 

 spicuous group, closely approached the 500 mark. 



The excellent work of the North Shore Improvement Associa- 

 tion, and that of such villages as Lawrence, L. I., South 

 Orange and others in New Jersey have demonstrated the practica- 

 bility of keeping the mosquito pest in subjection. This practical 

 work has concerned itself not only with disease-carrying species, 

 but it has sought to lessen the hordes of those annoying to man, 

 both materially depreciating the value of real estate, particu- 

 larly in the vicinity of New York city. The magnitude of this 



