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

CULICINI 151
FenzaZe. Length 5.5 mm.; wing 4.5 to 5 mm. Proboscis dark
brown with a few white scales on the basal half. Occiput black with
many narrow white scales, a brown patch at the sides; cheeks with
flat white scales; nape with numerous erect brown forked scales.
Mesonotum black, with numerous golden brown scales, those at the
sides and around the antescutellar space whitish. Abdomen black,
with broad basal segmental white bands; venter white scaled with
median black spots and indications of lateral black spots. Legs black,
the femora and tibiae largely pale scaled especially on the under side,
the first and second tarsal segments with many pale scales; tarsi
without white bands. Wings black scaled, with white scales inter-
mingled on the costa and first and second longitudinal veins.
Male hypopygiunz. (Fig. 6, PI. XIV.) Side-pieces more than
twice as long as wide; apical lobe long, finger-like, with two short
spines on its dorsal face and a few short setae at the apex, a dense
group of long stout spines at its base; basal lobe somewhat conical,
rounded at the apex, with a single stout marginal spine and numer-
ous rather stout setae. Clasper long, nearly cylindrical. Claspette
with a long outwardly curving stem; filament sharply pointed, broadly
expanded before the middle. Mesosome cylindrical, somewhat taper-
ing to the apex, widely open along its ventral face, closed on the
dorsum and at the base. Lobes of the ninth tergite short, approxi-
mate, and each bears a row of stout short spines.
Larva. Length 8-9 mm. Head broader than long. Antenna
cylindrical, slightly tapering, minutely spined; tuft small, situated at
middle. Anteantennal tuft small and short. Both upper and lower
head hairs single. Abdominal lateral tufts double on the first to the
fourth, single on the fifth and sixth segments. Comb scales of the
eighth segment arranged in two irregular rows. Air-tube nearly
three times as long as wide, slightly tapering beyond hair tuft. Pec-
ten of evenly spaced teeth, and two to three detached teeth beyond
the hair tuft; tuft of several hairs situated just before the middle,
within the pecten. Anal segment longer than wide, not ringed by
the dorsal plate. Dorsal brush a long hair and a multiple tuft on
either side; ventral brush well developed with one or two small tufts
preceding the barred area.
This species occurs in the northern Rocky Mountains from
Colorado to Alaska. The larvae are said to breed in deep snow
pools, grassy meadow pools, and in forest pools. The winter
is probably passed in the egg stage.