MOSQUITOES AND FLIES 



mouth opening. The saliva of the mosquito is injected 

 into the wound from the tip of the hypopharynx, and the 

 blood of the victim is sucked up to the mouth through the 

 labro-hypopharyngeal tube. The labium (Lb) serves 



Fig. 178. Mosquito larvae 

 A, Aedes atropalpus. B, Anopheles pitnctipennis, the 



malaria mosquito larva 



c, respiratory tube; d, terminal lobes; e, stellate groups 



of hairs that hold the larva at the surface of the water 



(fig. 181 A); /, spiracular area; PSp, spiracle 



principally as a sheath for the other organs. It ends in 

 two small lateral lobes, the labella, between which pro- 

 jects a weak, median tonguelike process. When the mos- 

 quito pierces its victim the base of the labium bends back- 

 ward as the other bristlelike members of the group of 

 mouth parts sink into the wound. 



Mosquitoes of both sexes are said to feed on the sap of 



[337] 



