AEDES CANADENSIS 647 



scarcely three rows deep ; single scales with triangular base, the body thick and 

 broadly rounded, spined nearly evenly all round, about seven subequal spines on 

 the broad tip. Anal segment widened outwardly, as broad as long; dorsal plate 

 reaching halfway down the sides, removed from posterior edge; dorsal tuft a 

 long brush of five hairs on each side, a single lateral hair at posterior angle of 

 plate; ventral brush very small, of a few long hairs. Anal giUs very large, four 

 or more times as long as the segment, inflated, the ends rounded, with distinct 

 central branched tracheae and small white superficial spots. 



The larvae live in holes in trees containing water, but are found also in 

 artificial receptacles under suitable conditions. Dr. Dyar first found them in an 

 old tin in a shanty. Dr. Blaisdell found them in a hole in a sycamore tree and 

 Dr. Dyar later met with them abundantly in holes in live oaks. Dr. Blaisdell 

 says : " For the last three years they have been abundant, from July to January, 

 when there was sufficient rain to keep water in the hole." The eggs are of the 

 usual fusiform shape, black and granular, laid separately in irregular groups 

 upon the sides of the cavity. They hatch upon the advent of water, and there 

 are apparently several broods during the summer. The winter is probably 

 passed in the egg state. The larvae are slow in their motions and rather sluggish, 

 remaining long below the surface of the water, which they are enabled to do on 

 account of remarkably developed anal gills. The adult females bite readily in 

 the daytime. Dr. Dyar says: 



" The males are attracted to the person as well as the females. While they 

 can not bite, they occasionally alight, and several were so taken, supposed at 

 first to be females about to bite. While sitting in the woods near Victoria, 

 British Columbia, the writer observed a small swarm of males which gathered 

 before him and continued to dance, one occasionally alighting for an instant, as 

 long as he remained there. During this time two females came to bite and each 

 was immediately seized by a male, the pair flying oif in a downward direction 

 in copulation, which lasted apparently but a few seconds." 



Extreme western portion of the United States and Canada. 



Kaslo, British Columbia, June, 1903 (H. G. Dyar) ; Vancouver, British 

 Columbia, August 6, 1906 (H. G. Dyar) ; Nanaimo, British Columbia, August 

 6, 1906 (Dyar and Caudell) ; Wellington, British Columbia, August 8, 1906 

 (Dyar and Caudell) ; Victoria, British Columbia, August 12, 1906 (H. 6. 

 Dyar) ; Seattle, Washington, July 31, 1906 (Dyar and Caudell) ; Ashford, 

 Oregon, August 4, 1906 (Dyar and Caudell) ; Kent, Washington, June 30, 1907 

 (H. E. Burke) ; Portland, Oregon (E. P. Currie) ; Dunsmuir, California, July 

 19, 1906 (A. N. Caudell) ; Fieldbrook, California, May 36, 1903 (H. S. Bar- 

 ber) ; Bair's Ranch, Humboldt County, California, June, 1903 (H. S. Barber) ; 

 Eureka, California, June 3, 1903 (H. S. Barber) ; Stanford "University, Cali- 

 fornia, July 7, 1903 (I. McCracken) ; Stockton, California (H. J. Quayle) ; 

 San Eaphael, California, July 14, 1904 (E. H. Ashman) ; Pasadena, California, 

 May 11, 1906 (H. G. Dyar) ; Claremont, California (C. F. Baker) ; Williams, 

 Arizona, July 29 (H. S. Barber) ; Glenbrook, Nevada, August 25, 1915 (H. G. 

 Dyar) . 



Aedes varipalpus shows considerable variation in the ornamentation of the 

 imago. The thoracic pattern varies in extent, definition and somewhat in color- 

 ation. The white median dorsal spots of the abdominal segments may be nearly 

 obsolete or may be expanded and joined to the lateral spots, thus producing 

 basal bands. 



AEDES CANADENSIS (Theobald) Dyar & Knab. 



Culex canadensis Theobald, Mon. Culic, ii, 3, 1901. 

 Culex canadensis Giles-, Gnats or Mosq., 2 ed., 422, 1902. 

 Culex canadensis Dyar, Science, n. s., xvi, 672, 1902. 



