ENTOMOLOGY

CHAPTER XVIIIWhat We Should Know About Mosquito Biology 1W. D%oi"ght Pierce and C. T. GreeneEntomologists are generally better informed about the life historyof mosquitoes than of most of the insects which carry disease. It istherefore more essential a~ this time to sketch over some of the pointsto which we as sanitary entomologists must pay attention. Anyonestudying mosquitoes must, before completing his study, digest the wonderfulmass of material in Ho\vard, Dyar, and Knab's Monograph, especiallyvolume 1.All mosquitoes pass their early stages in w:ater. They cannot developin any other medium.The adult mosquito is known to everyone, but its eggs depositedon the water are the least known. The larvm, commonly known as wiggletails,and the peculiar shaped pupm are fairly well known.The different species of mosquitoes are more or less selective as tothe type of water in which they breed, and careful study of mosquitohabitats is essential to all who have to do with mosquito sanitation.Therefore we must, at least in this lecture, consider the habits of all ourAmerican disease-carrying mosquitoes. Many of the others may becapable of carrying disease, but no proof has been brought forwardagainst them.In the preceding lecture it was shown that the following mosquitoesof the United States are disease carriers:Dengue fever is carried by Culex quinquefallciatus (fatigans), andAedes argenteus (Stegomyia calopus or fasciatus).Yellow fever is carried by Aedes argenteus.Subtcrtian or aestivo-autumnal malaria is carried by Anophelescrucians, pseudopunctipennis, pwnctipennis, and quadrimaculatus.Quartan malaria is carried by Anopheles quadrimaculatus.Tertian malaria is carried by Anopheles crucians, pwnctipennia andquadrimaculatus.Filariasis is carried by Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes arg'ertteus.These six species of mosquitoes are then the ones most to be feared• This lecture was presented to the class September 16, 1918.266