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a handbook of the mosquitoes of north america - Systematic Catalog ...

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CULICIDAE<br />

found <strong>the</strong>m in nearly all acquatic situations except leafy pools in<br />

densely wooded areas. The adults are present throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

season, <strong>the</strong>ir numbers largely dependent on <strong>the</strong> rainfall and<br />

available breeding grounds. They attack at twilight, beginning<br />

earlier on dark days, but do not cause much trouble after dark.<br />

In wooded and grassy areas <strong>the</strong>y will attack if disturbed dur-<br />

ing <strong>the</strong> daytime but do not pursue <strong>the</strong>ir victims with any vigor.<br />

ANOPHELES QUADRIMACULATUS Say<br />

Aszopdze1e.s quadrinmcuht~ts Say, in Keating Narr. Exp. St.<br />

Peters River, 2, 356.’ 1824.<br />

Fenzale. (Frontispiece). Length 5 to 5.5 mm.; wing 5 mm.<br />

Proboscis long, brown. Palpi as long as <strong>the</strong> proboscis, slender,<br />

dark brown. Antennae almost black. Occiput dark brown, clo<strong>the</strong>d<br />

with numerous narrowly triangular or notched black scales, a white<br />

patch on <strong>the</strong> vertex. Mesonotum brown, lighter on <strong>the</strong> sides, with<br />

many pale yellowish hairs, derisest on <strong>the</strong> median line and at <strong>the</strong><br />

sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> disk. Abdomen as in punctipemis. Wing scales black<br />

and light brown, <strong>the</strong> black scales forming distinct spots (Fig. 2, Pl.<br />

VIII.) Apex <strong>of</strong> wing without a coppery spot. Legs slender, black,<br />

<strong>the</strong> apices <strong>of</strong> femora and tibiae tipped with yellowish-white.<br />

Male lzypopygitim. (Fig. 2, Pl. IX.) Side-piece as long as wide,<br />

slightly conical, with long and short hairs, scales absent. Internal<br />

spine well developed, arising one-third from apex. Claspers longer<br />

than side-piece, narrowed in <strong>the</strong> middle. Claspette bilobed, not reach-<br />

ing apex <strong>of</strong> mesosome; dorsal lobe with two stout spines, fused at<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir apices and extending closely approximated to <strong>the</strong>ir bases; ven-<br />

tral lobe with two spines, <strong>the</strong> outer one broader and longer. Meso-<br />

some very long and narrow; leaflets narrow, three pairs, <strong>the</strong> posterior<br />

pair <strong>the</strong> largest. Ninth tergite consists <strong>of</strong> a narrow band <strong>of</strong> chitin<br />

with two large, slightly clubbed, lateral processes.<br />

Larva. The larva <strong>of</strong> this species is almost identical with that <strong>of</strong><br />

walkeri and can be separated from that species by minute mandibular<br />

characters outlined in <strong>the</strong> key.<br />

This species occurs from Mexico <strong>north</strong> throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

Mississippi valley to Canada and east to <strong>the</strong> Atlantic seaboard.<br />

It is <strong>the</strong> most important carrier <strong>of</strong> malaria throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

eastern, central and sou<strong>the</strong>rn United States. In many nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />

sections, like that <strong>of</strong> central New York, <strong>the</strong> species has almost<br />

87

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