Page:Mosquitoes, gnats, craneflies, midges and flies of the northern states (IA mosquitoesgnatsc00knobe).pdf/10

 SUB -ORDER NEMATOCERA.

I.

MOSQUlTO=LIKE FLIES. Family

PSYCHODID/E.

The Psychoch.s :ire small moth-like flies, sometimes Moth-like Flics. Their bodies and wings are covered ith hairs. Little is known of their habits. The- are interesting as the connecting litd< between moths and flies. I. Psyc/zoda a/tcrnata. yellowish white, body brownish, wing lianiled. dotted with Mack. j in. 1.

found nimiiiig on wiiulovvs.



Family their food

is

CULICID/E. MoSCJuiiOfS. StingilKJ GlldiS. The males neither sing nor sting, but dance and unknown. They are easil>- recognized by their feather-like feelers. The feelers of the females are

2.



Their eggs are laid in a boat-shaped mass on the surface of stagnant water on which it floats. In a few days these hatch and the larv;e wiggle out on the water side of the boat, grow rapidh and have a breatliing tube on the joint before the last of the tail. When full grown the- change to pupa, and at the same time they develop two breathing tubes on the chest part, and lose that of the tail. After a few das (he hairy though less feather-like.

,

pupa hursts on the back, and the mosquito crawls out and ritles on the cast ofl' skin till its wings are hardened enough to fly away. A mosquito's mouth is compo.sed of six pieces and a sheath: three fine needle-pointed hairs form the underlip, two stronger ones with barbed points, the upperlip these five form a tube enclosing the tongue. The mosq'iito diflers from the following families not only in the veins of the wing, but also by having a long fringe on the hind edge, and scales on the veins.

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