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

172 MOSQUITOES OF XORTH AMERICA
Hypopygium (Fig. 4, Pl. XVIa.) Side-pieces over twice as
long as wide, somewhat conically tapered at the tips, clothed with
numerous long and short hairs. Apical lobe large, three branched, the
outer branch broad at its apex and bears several filaments and small
spines ; each of the other branches with a single broad filament,
somewhat expanded before apex and terminating in a sharp point.
Clasper short, stout, constricted at middle, broadly expanded at apex,
the outer margin with a row of fine setae and the inner angle ter-
minating in a stout spine. Tenth sternites slender, heavily chitinized,
each terminating in an arched tip bearing a row of spines. Mesosome
complicated without characteristic features. Lobes of ,the ninth seg-
ment triangular and with few setae.
Larva. Head broad, transverse; antennae long, curved, spined
on the basal two-third, with a large tuft arising beyond the middle;
upper head hairs double, lower single; anteantennal tuft multiple.
At the base of each antenna, on the ventral side, there is a stalked,
ovoid, tracheal gill. Abdomen slender; lateral hairs in fives on first
segment, in threes on second, and twos on third to sixth. Lateral
comb of eighth segment of about fifteen scales in a curved row.
Air-tube three times as long as wide; pecten of long spines reaching
to basal two-fifths; eight long tufts on posterior margin, decreasing in
length to\ ards tip; an apical pair of recurved hooks. Anal segment
much longer than wide, ringed by the plate; dorsal tuft of two long
hairs and a short one on each side; ventral brush well developed,
confined to the barred area. Anal gills long, tapered to a blunt
point.
This species occurs in the Gulf States from Florida west.
It breeds in temporary rain pools though it has been taken in
permanent water with aquatic vegetation. The larvae are said
to lie on their backs on the bottom of pools, fastening them-
selves to various objects by means of their air-tubes. The fe-
males are not known to bite.
CULEX ERRATICUS Dyar and Knab
Mochlost~~~ ermtiws Dyar and Knab, Jl. N.Y. Ent. Sot., 13,
26. 1905.
C&x abowzinator Dyar and Knab, Smith. Colls. Quart. Iss.,
52, 257. 1909.
Feunale. Length 3 mm. ; wing 2.5 mm. Proboscis slender, slightly
enlarged at tip, dark brown. Occiput brown with narrow, curved