9 2 



Insects and Disease 



common forms and as the Anopheles are the ma- 

 laria carriers it is important that this difference be 

 remembered. Most of the members of this group 

 have spotted wings (Fig. 74), but as some other 

 common kinds also have spotted wings (Fig. 75) 

 this character will not always be reliable. When 

 an Anopheles mosquito is at rest the head and pro- 

 boscis are held in one line with the body and the 

 body rests at a considerable angle to the surface 

 on which it is standing. Other kinds rest with the 

 body almost or quite parallel to the surface on 

 which they are standing. So if you find a female 

 mosquito with long mouth-palpi and spotted 

 wings resting at an angle to the surface on which 

 it stands you may be reasonably sure that it is an 

 Anopheles and therefore may be dangerous (Figs. 



76, 77> 78, 79)- 



In the United States there are three species of 

 Anopheles — maculipennis , punctipennis and cru- 

 cians — which are common in various localities, 

 and one or two other species that so far as known 

 are local or rare. 



The Anopheles eggs are not laid in masses as are 

 the eggs of many other mosquitoes, but are de- 

 posited singly on the surface of the water where 

 they may be found often floating close together. 



The eggs (Figs. 80, 81) are elliptical in outline 



