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

BIOLOGY 43
ing has been observed with Alzophdes pzrlnctipemis, Aedes
speacerii, Aedes punctor and others. Very commonly these
swarms appear over the head of the observer and may follow
him as he walks over the country side. A swarm of Aedes
pumtor was observed to form over a war>m automobile radiator
at about 7:00 P.M.
Longem’ty
The length of life of the adult is very difficult to determine.
Normally, Czllex adults are short lived but there is no exact
data except for those kept under artificial conditions. The yel-
low fever mosquito has been kept alive in captivity for over
five months. It is generally stated that the males live only a
short time ; only a few days or weeks at the most. Males of
many of our early spring breeding species have been taken in
central New York in June and July. This would indicate a
much longer life for the males of Aedes stiwmlaw, A. fitchii,
and A. puwtor. As these species emerge from late April to
late May and as there is only one brood a year, the males must
live at least one or two months or even longer. Females live
longer than the males. Czllex and Anopheles species hibernate
as adults so that the life of the over-wintering females is
greatly prolonged. Certain Aedes species live for several
months. Aedes excrucians, A. fitchii, A. stimulates, A. @M-
for and A. isztrzcdem appear as early spring species, usually
in early May. The adults have been collected at all times dur-
ing the summer, some of them as late as the middle of Septem-
ber. This would give an adult life for favored individuals of
at least four months. Normally they are very abundant in
June, July and early August. I have been driven from their
haunts by their attacks as late as the second week in August.
HIBERNATION
All our species belonging to the genera Culex and Anoplzeles
pass the winter as fertilized females; the males die at the ap-
proach of cold weather. The females seek various types of
shelters, as cellars, stables, cow sheds, out-buildings of all types,