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

BIOLOGY 41
its haunts and will not bite man though they readily settle
on the skin, evidently in search of moisture.
Flight Habits
From the standpoint of mosquito control, their flight habits
are of the greatest importance. Unfortunately, little is known
except in the case of a few species. In California, Herms
records a distribution flight of Ano~heZes macdipelznis shortly
after the emergence of the adults from hibernation. This is
supposed to be in search of breeding grounds, but the distance
of the flight is not definitely recorded. It is generally believed
that Anophelines. do not fly far from their breeding grounds,
probably not more than a half mile to a mile. A&es sollici-
tans, A. cantutor, and A. taeniorhyachus are known to migrate
considerable distances, at least forty miles in the case of the
first species. Aedes vexans is another migrant and in British
Columbia, Hearle finds that it migrates even in the open a dis-
tance of at least ten miles. In central New York, migrations
of from three to five miles have been observed. The time oc-
cupied in these migrations depends on climatic factors but is
usually a week to ten days. Aedes aldrichi is also recorded
as a migrant though its habits restrict it to following wooded
areas or where shrubbery affords, protection. A migration of
ten to fifteen miles is recorded. The great majority of our
early spring breeding Aedes species migrate short distances-
at least a mile or more. This is especially true when protect-
ing wooded areas occur at short intervals,. The domesticated
species probably do not fly any considerable distance. Taenior-
hydzzu pertwbans is undoubtedly a migrant. In central New
York, migrations of at least several miles have been observed,
the same swarm being followed from day to day. In this
case, the males accompanied the migrating females.
Mosquitoes are also distributed in other ways than by actual
long distance or short interrupted flights. Favoring breezes
are reported as bringing in hordes to otherwise mosquito free