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

CULICINI
as to form no distinct pattern, the yellowish brown scales more abund-
ant on the disk. Abdomen dorsally with flat black scales with a
violet reflection, and a series of large lateral triangular yellowish-
white spots, their bases at the apices of the segments; venter clothed
with yellowish-white scales, the seventh largely dark scaled. Legs
long and slender; femora yellowish-white beneath to near the apex,
black scaled above with bluish violet lustre; apical third of tibiae
and first two tarsal joints of hind legs with numerous outstanding
scales; last two tarsal joints and sometimes the apex of the third of
the hind legs white.
Male Izypopygizinz. (Fig. 6, PI. XVII.) Side-pieces three times
as long as wide, about the same width throughout, the apex slightly
conical; apical and basal lobes lacking. Clasper long, small at base,
greatly expanded at the middle, contracted near apex and ends in a
recurved point bearing a short articulated spine. Claspette very long,
almost as long as the side-pieces, cylindrical, expanded apically ;
apex with two close-set recurving leaf-like filaments, and behind this
a dense mass of long hairs curved at their tips. Mesosome short,
cone-shaped, open on the venter, closed on the dorsum and at the
base. Lobes of the ninth tergite widely separated, only slightly chitin-
ized and each bears a group of short hairs.
Larva. Length S-10 mm. Head rounded, longer than wide; an-
tenna longer than the head, slightly swollen at the base, spined
all over; antenna1 tuft multiple, situated slightly before the middle;
upper and lower head hairs double; anteantennal tuft multiple. Ab-
dominal lateral tufts multiple on the first and second, double on the
third, and single on the fourth to sixth segments. Lateral comb of
the eighth segment a single row of six to seven scales. Anal seg-
ment longer than wide, ringed by the dorsal plate; dorsal brush a
long hair and a multiple tuft on each side; ventral brush well de-
veloped, extending along ventral line to near base. r!nal gills much
longer than the segment, each tapered to a sharp point. Air-tube
stout, strongly tapering, about three times as long as wide. Pecten
of three to four teeth on the basal fifth of tube. Hair tuft lacking.
The species is distributed from southern Canada, south
through the eastern United States, Mexico, Central America,
South America and into the West India Islands. The larvae
are found in transient rain puddles. The adults are severe
biters but are not known to invade houses.