HOW TO COLLECT MOSQUITOES 
(CULICIDJE). 
INTRODUCTION. 
Systematic Position, Distinctive Characters, and Life History 
of Mosquitoes. 
Mosquitoes or gnats (strictly speaking, the terms are synonymous) 
are the names popularly applied to the family Culicidce, of the 
order of insects known as Diptera (Two-winged Flies), which also 
includes, besides other families the species of which are more or 
less gnat-like in form, such as the true midges (Chironomidce), 
fungus-midges (Mycetophilidce), daddy-long-legs {Tipulidce), etc., a 
large number the members of which are more " fly "-like in shape, 
e.g. the blue-bottles and house-flies (Muscidce), tsetse-flies (Glossina), 
gad-flies (Tabanidce), hover-flies (Syrphidce), etc. 
Culicidce are by no means the only blood-sucking Diptera, for the 
order also comprises the blood-sucking midges (genus Ceratopogon, 
belonging to the family Chironomidce), the sand-flies or Simididce, 
gad-flies or Tabanidce, and blood-sucking Muscidce (Glossina, Stomoxys, 
Hosmatobia). In the perfect state the females of all of these suck 
blood, while the males are usually harmless, though in the tsetse-fly 
the blood-sucking habit is stated to be common to both sexes,* as 
is the case in certain species of mosquitoes (see " Observations on 
Habits, Distribution, etc.," p. 88). 
* Surgeon-Major David Bruce, A.M.S., " Further Eeport on the Tsetse-Fly 
Disease of Nagana, in Zululand," p. 3 (London; Harrison & Sons, 1897). 
. 80 
