44 MISC. PUBLICATION 336, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



AEDES SOLLICITANS (Walk.) 



(The eastern salt-marsh mosquito, sometimes called the New Jersey mosquito) 



This bronze, or golden-brown, species breeds in salt marshes along 

 the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and, except in southern Florida, is by 

 far the most important of the salt-marsh species. It is a strong flier 

 and commonly migrates in large swarms for many miles from its 

 breeding place. In Florida specimens sometimes are taken in the 

 interior of the peninsula when broods emerge on the coast. The 

 adults settle in the grass during the daytime and are extremely annoy- 

 ing to persons who come in their vicinity, attacking in full sunlight. 

 The flight of migratory swarms begins just before dark, and the 

 numbers that may be encountered in salt-marsh areas at this time are 

 almost unbelievable. In the southern half of Florida the species may 

 be found through the winter and is more prevalent in the spring and 

 fall than in the summer. Adults have also been found in the winter 

 along the Mississippi coast (52} . Methods for the control of the salt- 

 marsh species are discussed in the section on Mosquito Control 



(p- 25 )- 



Adults of sollicitans are recognized by the longitudinal stripe of 

 pale scales on the abdomen, the mixed black and white scaling of the 

 wings, and the golden color of the mesonotum. The proboscis and 

 the legs have wide white rings, and the first segment of the hind legs 

 has a white ring in the middle. 



AEDES TAENIORHYNCHUS (Wied.) 



(Syn., Taeniorhynchus niger Giles (not Theob.) ; the black salt-marsh mosquito) 



This small black and white mosquito is the most abundant and 

 troublesome salt-marsh species along at least the southern two-thirds 

 of the Florida coasts, which is also approximately the area where 

 mangrove and pickle weed (saltwort) form the predominant marsh 

 vegetation (pis. 4, B y and 6, A). In smaller numbers taenio- 

 rhynchus occurs along the Atlantic coast as far north as the New 

 England States and along the Gulf coast to Mexico. Unlike sollici- 

 tans it is found on the Pacific coast in southern California. It breeds 

 in the salt marshes when these are flooded by rains or tides and also 

 prolifically in fresh-water pools nearby. In the laboratory the eggs 

 have hatched and the larvae have been reared in water varying in 

 salinity from completely fresh to that of sea water. The females 

 become troublesome at times in the interior of the Florida Peninsula 

 and have been taken in considerable numbers in the vicinity of Or- 

 lando, which is about 30 miles from salt water. Many larva were 

 once found in water standing on a vacant lot within the city limits 

 of Orlando, this being the writers' only record of its breeding so far 

 inland. The species seems much less inclined than sollicitans to 

 attack in bright sunlight, but it commonly is very annoying in the 

 shade in the mangrove and other woods. 



The adults are less than medium sized and are dark in color, with 

 white rings on the proboscis and tarsi (fig. 13). The mesonotum is 

 dark-scaled sprinkled with white, and the wings are dark-scaled. 

 The abdomen is without a longitudinal stripe, and the first hind- 

 tarsal segment lacks the median white ring of sollicitans. Southern 

 and tropical specimens having the tip of the last hind-tarsal segment 

 dark are sometimes classified as variety niger. Specimens from the 

 North Atlantic States usually have this segment entirelv white. 



