Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1891 — ABOUT THE MOSQUITO. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ABOUT THE MOSQUITO.

jpACTS ABOUT THE MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S PEST. iMqnltofi, as Sent Under the Microscope. vlth an Acc-mut of the Manner in Which They Are t re t—Ravage Females and Their XHiolont SrouM*.

HE anything but genial “mosquito,” “musketo,” “musquito,” “musquetoe," “moschito, ” “moschetto,” “mosquetto,” “muschetto,” “musbetto,” or “musquetto” is ' abroad. For such a very little pest the “mosquito” has more names

and In more languages than any other living thing. Scientists variously call her the culex piplens, (diex Amcricanus , the cousin, the rn'iucheron and the “humming gnat.” The Century dictionary describes the insect of many aliases as “one of many different kinds of gnats or midges, the female of which bites animals and draws blood.” Persons who are given to attribute to the fema e sex all the gentlenesss and amiability there Is in the world will boar this in mind. Mr. Mosquito is an easy-going, gorgeously arrayed creature, with neither (he disposition nor the ability to bite and draw blood. He is a sort of a Turveydrop in the insect world, who seems to !iave no higher object during his brief lfe than “to show himself about town.”

His life, to be sure, is a short one, but (hen it is full of indolence and luxury. He is expected to pay certain delicate attentions to his infinitesimal spouse, which she rewards when tired of him by giving him a short, sharp, and fatal

prod of the remarkable lance which she carries ooncealed in her probosis. He Is not provided with such a weapon, and is as much at her mercy as a boxer at that of a skilled swordsman. He is of gentle and perhaps amiable character. He lives on a strictly vegetable diet, which may account for the absence of the bloodthirsty and ferocious spirit of his spouse. She can at a pinch live the life of a vegetarian, but what she wants is gore, piping hot gore, human if she can get it; but never overlooking any chance. The toughest hide that over covered a horse or steer does not intervene between the lady mosquito and her vampirish thirst. It is even doubted that Col. Mosquito is given to vocal efforts. If he ever does join his consort In a nerve destroying duct, he sings very low, and his performance is entirely overlooked, when the restless human appreciates the ease with which my lady takes high C and holds it until driven out of the room by the exasperated wielder of a wet towel. Less is known about the origin of the mosquito’s name than of his habits, and Americans have no monopoly of information upon this latter phase of the subject. All climates claim the mosauito as pest in chief. On the upper waters of the Missouri mosquitoes, after a rainy season, are the greatest impediment to navigation met with. They swarm by millions. Cattle are driven in the river, and they stand with their muzzles alone held above the water, which are black with the pests. Pilots on • the boats are forced to burn smudge firos. They are of every conceivable degree of minuteness, and no veil has fine enough texture to exclude them. Artcic explorers all write of sufferings at the hands, or rather stings, of mosquitoes. In England mosquitoes are called gnats, and on the continent of Europe

cousins, raoucheron*. and other names. Tto* gnat belongs to the genus cuter. It Is found in ruo t of the temperate aud tropicaJ portions of t'ne globe where man

has penetrated. About thirty species are known in the United States. In the human family the female is the more ornamental as well as the more amiable animal. In the insect world, particularly among mosquitoes, the re-

verse is the case. There are mosquitoes which confine their activities to the daylight hours, and which will lavish their caresses principally on the tender foliage of trees and aromatic plants. Theso

principally inhabit woods and marshes. The other variety make themselves heard and felt during the night chiefly. The greater portion of their active existence is passed in or near human habitations. Theso are the varieties with which man Is most intimately acauainted.

But in all tho species of the mosquito family the malo apparently is the superior being. In grace and elegance of architectural construction, as well as in variety and gorgeousness of raiment,tho male mosquito far surpasses the female. The male also enjoys privileges and prerogatives to which the female can never aspire—certainly can never gain. The function which she performs In propagation of tho species compels hor to consume more food than he does, and all this food 6ho is obliged to get herself. In every essential particular sho has to make hor own and the family’s living without the slightest aid from him. Such food as he requires for hlmsolf, which is neither large in quantity nor varied in quality, he picks up. Beyond that he does little except to display his charms and enjoy life. It Is tho female of the mosquito family with which tho human species comes in most intimate contact. The female does by far the greater portion of the biting done by the family,ana tho warblingsof the mosquito are those of the female mosquito only. The mosquito first appears in the form of an egg. The eggs are deposited in the water by the mother mosquito Before doing this she crosses her hind legs in the shape of a letter X. As

the eggs are dropped they are caught' by the crossed legs, the'glutinous sub&tance attaching to the eggs holding them together. The number of eggs laid by one female before rising is very great. These eggs are arranged in the form of a raft and left to ride on the water, shallow, stagnant fresh water usually being selected. By the additions made to the number of eggs the raft is converted into a sort of a boat, and when the laying process is all completed the boat consists of from 300 to 350 eggs. This is the first stage in the exi tence of the embryo mosquito. Atter the last egg is laid and the boat completed the mother’s function, so far. at least, as regards thi9 particular brood, ends, and the eggs are left to shift for themselves. A few days after the egg boat is launched the larvae appear. These are of an elongated, worm-like form, ana come bufbf the lower end of the eggs, leaving the empty shells forming tho boat lying.on the surface of the water. Thd ffhe.l is soon destroyed by the action of winds and water. When tho larvae appear the eggs are hatched. Most read“TC ; nf this article have seen these larvae'in Immense numbers on the surface of stagnant water during the warm months. They are vulgarly called “wigglers ” Suspended from tho surface of the water, with head downward, they to breathe by means of a sort of tube communicating with the triahe*. The appearance o l the larva

may be said to complete the second stag* in the existence of the mosquito. From ten to fifteen days after the appearance of the larvae the substance enters the pup® state. They take on a thin skin, almost completely covering the larvae, and roll around in the water, their motions being directed by afin-lfia contrivance at the end of the tail. Ths quick, seemingly irregular, movements of the pup® give them the name of “tumbleis. ” Tney, too, aro familiar to persons residing In the rural districts in the spring and summer. The change of the larv® into the pup® completes the third stage in the mo 3 Quito’s existence. Between five and ten days after the pup® appeals the last and most critical stage in the entire metamorphosis of th(> egg into tho perfect insect arrives. About this period tho pupa skin bursts open, and the mosquito takes its first look at daylight. Tho pupa shell is in the form of a boat, the opening appearing on die surface of the shell which is farthest from the water. The insect rises slowly and deliberately until it at length balances itself on its tail A small gust of wind how or a slight eddy, and tho shell boat would tip over, when tho mosquito’s active existence would end before it begun. If the gust of wind or eddy fail to appear—and it is certain that they often do fail to appear—the Insect slowly extricates its front pair of legs, and places them on the surface of the water, still clinging to tho shell boat. Then it as slowly and deliberately spreads its wings. They at first strike the water, but aro raised ab ;ve It again, and the sun—for these affairs invariably take place on sunny days—and air dry them. Tho hind legs aro then slowly drawn from tho shell until their ends rest on tho edge of tho boat, the body is stretched out, the wings expanded. A moment afterward the wing* flap, the shell is tipped over, the head Is turned shoreward, and the mosquito is ready for business.

THE MALE MOSQUITO (NEW JERSEY 1 SIZE).

THE FENALE MOSQUITO.

THE LARVA OF THE MOSQUITO- (Highly magnified).

MOSQUITO EMERGING FROM PUPA SHELL - (Highly magnified).

THE MOSQUITO'S STING —(Highly magnified.) A— In Its sheath. B—Half torn off to show sheath. C—Sucker developed to show parts. D—Barbed point of one blade of sucker.