BUZZ-Z-Z.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 235, 4 October 1928, Page 10

BUZZ-Z-Z.

'WARE MOSQUITOES.

PILGRIMS OF THE NIGHT. AUCKLAND'S SPECIAL VARIETIES. DUTIES OF THE CITIZEN. Warm weather is coming, and, with it, mosquitoes. In the course of a very informative article, Mr. D. H. Graham, emphasises the duty which devolves upon every citizen of destroying, or at least making.useless for the insects, the places where they breed. Mr. Graham mentions the fact that a number of fish have been introduced, which, it is hoped, ( will feed on the larvae and destroy the 1 pest in its early stages. Prefacing his remarks by the statement that he has no intention of inflicting a lot of technical details upon his friends, who are allied with him in the good cause of mosquito destruction and prevention, Mr. Graham keeps his natural history within reasonable limits, but mentions the interesting fact that | there arc no less than six species of mosquitoes in Auckland. These are: Culex pervigilans (domestic, universal, flying at night); Culex fatigans (domestic, sewer, polluted water, night); Aedea notoscriptus (semi-domestic, under trees, day); Aedes antipodeus (sylvan); Rachionotomyia argyropua (sylvan, restricted to native bush, night); and Opifex fuscus (saline). A microscopic study enables Mr. Graham to state that the first of the series is a dark brown mosquito with narrow white bands on its abdomen, and minute white patches on its knees. This, he says, i 3 our most abundant and troublesome mosquito in New Zealand. It is found in both islands from the sea coast to the most mountainous parts, cold weather being no deterrent to its propagation. Number two on the list is purely a nocturnal feeder biting between dusk and daylight. It is comforting to read Mr. Graham's reassurance: "I have never heard of her biting in daylight." As is well known, it is only the female mosquito (hat does any biting, the ancient dictum, "the female of the species is more deadly than tjie male," being thus borne out by entomology. Black and Blue. Mr. Graham goes on to present a particularly full and minute examination1 of the other varieties, mentioning "J* Aedes antipodeus ia a spede* l Aucld+nd, ud that so far on^«»* rwer

have been found, this at Titirangi, and that the specimens were obtained by laying a trap in which to tempt the species to breed. The variety with the unpronounceable name beginning with R is a very large blue-black mosquito with a distinctive ornamentation of white scales on- the sides of its thorax, and Opifex fuscus is "a large strongly built mosquito, much larger than any others." Dealing with the breeding habits of mosquitoes in general, Mr. Graham points out that water in which to develop, is essential. The eggs afe laid in stagnant'or slow running 'water, rich in organic matter, either from animal or vegetable sources. The eggs take from 24 hours-to several-days to,hatch,- and, in order to breathe the baby-mosquitoes have to reach the eurfacc. The remedy is the complete abolition of stagnant water, or of receptacles in which water may accumulate, or, failing that,' the filling in or oiling of water holes. Organised efforts, says Mr. Graham, have been made by the Devonport Borough Council and the Auckland City Council to combat the menace. Last season many dumps of tins were cleaned up in Auckland, vacant sections were cleared of rubbish, and many "thousands of tins were collected and Carted away. "It affords me great pleasure," says Mr. Graham, "to know that all the City Council dumps are to be done away with) this will mean a vast reduction in mosquito life around these parts." Specimens Rare at Devonport. Mr. Graham goes on to pay a tribute to the manner in which the - Devonport Borough Council has faced the problem. He says they have a systematic clean up of all rubbish; the drains are kept clean; troughs emptied once a week; and swamps are oiled frequently. "I had difficulty in obtaining sufficient specimens at Devonport for laboratory experiments," he says, adding that every suggestion that he made had been carried out. No matter what other local bodies might to, their efforts alone would not dispose of the mosquito. The insects were breeding in eight out of ten _of every back yard in the city and section of the suburban area. This might appear a sweeping statement to make, but it was none the less true. _ Mr. Graham concludes: After IS months of thought and make bold to state that, if councils, and each and e V- follow Auckland did o»t th^ m ff iB AWd dis- » would be an easy »»««• appear, t m j muce . It Is unbelieTone *mall