MOSQUITOES AND FLOWERS 111 
statements are based upon actual observation. During the past season I found 
a species of mosquito frequenting flowers in large numbers. It was obvious from 
the behavior of these mosquitoes that the habit is quite normal with them. Con- 
fident that the habit, of mosquitoes, of visiting flowers could not have altogether 
escaped observation I made a hasty canvas of the available literature and brought 
together the following records of a more definite character. 
“Theobald states: ‘I have frequently seen Culicide settled on Composite, 
sucking the juices of the flowers, both males and females.’ * According to Giles 
‘ they are frequently found on flowers, and especially in England on the catkins 
of the willow. + Ficalbi found the first male of his Culex albopunctatus upon 
a flower, sucking the honey, and upon searching the woods he found numbers of 
males thus engaged upon flowers of the same kind.t{ A number of records 
were traced through Knuth’s Handbuch der Bliitenbiologie. Hermann Miiller 
has observed the male of Culex pipiens sucking on the flowers of Rhamnus 
frangula.§ He has observed, in his room, this same species of mosquito effect- 
ing the fertilization of Lopezia coronata by releasing the pollen and transmitting 
it to the stigma of an older flower.|| Burkill, in observations on the flower- 
visitors of Mentha aquatica, made at Scarborough between September 20 and 
October 7, found an Anopheles species ‘ four times, seemingly sucking honey.’ { 
The sex is not indicated. 
“ The foregoing records are all European. Several American observers have 
noted mosquitoes on flowers. Robertson, in a list of insects found on the flowers 
of Ceanothus americanus between June 19 and 29, includes an undetermined 
species of Culicide.** Smith has found the males of Aédes sollicitans ‘in great 
numbers in wild cherry blossoms in the early evening, apparently busied in 
getting at the nectar. Females have been observed at the same time; but ap- 
parently these abandoned the vegetable food readily, when the animal odor 
advised them of something more to their taste.’ ++ Dr. Graenicher lists Aédes 
stimulans among the flower-visitors of Smilax herbacea and Smilax hispida.tt 
No further data are given and upon inquiry Dr. Graenicher informed me that 
he has no notes which would supply details regarding these observations. How- 
ever he has very kindly furnished me the following interesting observations upon 
Aédes sylvestris, recently made by him, which I give verbatim. 
“<¢ At the beginning of August, while collecting the visitors of our earliest 
species of goldenrod, Solidago juncea, I came across a species of Culex on two 
different occasions. Before writing to you on this subject I preferred to follow 
up the matter more closely. Last Sunday [Sept. 1] the opportunity presented 
itself, and I found Culex sylvestris Theo. (determined by Mr. C. T. Brues, 
Public Museum of Milwaukee) on the flowers of the following three species of 
Solidago: juncea Ait., canadensis L., and lanceolata L., (Huthamia gramini- 
folia (L.) Nutt. in Britton’s Manual). This species of Culex is common in our 
region, and it was well represented on the flowers throughout the afternoon, but 
especially towards evening. Males and females were present, both eagerly suck- 
ing nectar. By approaching them cautiously I was able to observe their actions 
* Theobald, F. V.: Monogr. Culicidsg, vol. 1, 1901, p. 69. 
+ Giles, G. M.: Handbook of Gnats or Mosquitoes, 2 ed., 1902, p. 114. 
t Ficalbi, E.: Venti specie di zanzare (Culicide) italiane. Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital., vol. 31, 
1899, pp. 107, 186. 
§ Miiller, H.: Die Befruchtung der Blumen durch Insekten, 1873, p. 153. 
L. c.. p. 198. 
Laie J. C., and I. H. Burkill: Flowers and Insects in Great Britain, pt. 1, Annals of 
Botany, vol. 9, 1895, p. 256. 
** Robertson, C. H.: Flowers and Insects, III. Bot. Gazette, vol, 14, 1889, p. 304. 
+t Howard. L. O.: Mosquitoes, 1902, p. 36, and Smith, J. B.: Report, mosquitoes of N. J., 
1904, pp. 27, 203. 
tt Graenicher, S.: Flowers adapted to flesh-flies. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. 1, no. 1, 
1902, pp. 33, 34. 
