The sun., 1903-07-13
MOSQUITO DESTROYER FOUND.
mp STILES or HOOK WORM FAME
rs THE DISCOVERER.
-. Has Named the Parasite AsamSmermns
CuI,cls, and n II Can BE Propagatod
in sufficient Numbers IL VIII Practi-
oa,Iy Extermlnate the Mosquito Pest.

1le Has Named INC Fhr"s'eo A1~"~oT"h"
ruI,cls, and if Il Can he Propagatod
T., suo,clent Numbers IL VIII Practi-
oa,Iy Ext terminate the Mosquito Pest.
u,su,yGroN, July l2!-Dr. Charles War
,,,I stiles of tho Public Health and Marine
uosnitnl Service, discoverer OF the parasite
,,n.;raria Americana, generally known as
iva hook worm, or germ Of lazness,' and
.L,,a address, last December before the
C,,;,arv Conference of American Republics,
10 ,,hich he told of the effects OF the ravages
- ,he hook worm disease upon social, in
L,a,r;al and economic conditions in the
southern States, attracted such widespread
a,,.n,ion. has made another discovery in
,he PARASITE world, which is considered by
Covernment savants as of the greatest I'M
nortapce. This is the discovery and isola-
,;or of what DR.. Stiles has named the Aodmo-
,,s,nis cuhcis, otherwise known as the
mosouito destroyer" parasite which kills
rillions of mosquitoes each year and which.
Il il believed, under artificial propagation.
aill prove far superior to any means now
Lnown of Kidding infested communities OF
these pests.
The discovery WdS tlot ViiC tccuhe VA oSSA
dent or of haphazard methods. Some
time ago the officers of the Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service conceived
the idea that at the present time, when
roosouitoes are being subjected to such
careful study because of the important
relations they bear to public health, es-
nscialy in connection with malaria, yellow
fever and diseases OF like nature-the
MOSQUITO having been recognized as a
carrier of fever germs-it was Of the great
asst interest to determine by what parasites
they we're naturally infested.
At the time this determination was made
the health authorities were convinced.
although without the backing OF data.
that the matter had a practical as we'll
as a scientific value, for it was considered
that it would make possible the elimination
of certain nonpathogenio organisms from
the life cycle of pathogenic organisms, cer-
tain stages Of which were already known
10 exist in mosquitoes. II had further
practical bearing in that 1t was then be-
lieyed that the parasites OF mosquitoes
might multiply to such an extent as to
become important factors In their exter-
mination.
The experiments by DR.. Stiles, which
followed this decision, have resulted In
entire success. The parasite has been
discovered and isolated. The right OF the
parasite TO its common title Of mosquito
destro yer" has been established. All that
now remains to be done by Or. Stiles and
his associates is to discover rapid and
inexpensive manner of propagating the
parasites in sufficient number for general
Use in marshes, ponds and localities In
tested with the insects. The mosquito
destroyer will do the rest.
Certain forms Of intestinal parasites had
previously been found in mosquito larvR
in India, Italy and Spain, but none had been
Prof John B. Smith Of Rutgers College
forwarded to DR. Stiles for examination
two worms taken from the abdominal
cavity of New Jersey mosquitoes. One
specimen was hardly in condition to be
OF use for study, but DR.. Stiles determined
that both specimens were larval round
worms, belonging TO the family mermithid@
Stiles christened the parasite "agamo.
mermis culicis.
The agamomerrnis culicis is an inter
nal parasite and has its habitat in the
abdominal cavity of mosquitoes, infection
taking place in the larval or pupal stages
of the growth OF mosquitoes. Mosquitoes
infected with the parasite are sluggish
IN tDPlT HlONClUtuIS a1lIl uO uOJ llNc lOik
Female insects infected do not breed.
The researches which led up to the dis
coyeryo of the parasite agamomermis culicis
showed oonclusively that what is generally
termed "a bad year for mosquitoes that
is, when the pests are most numerous In
their usual haunts, and even in places
where they are usually few in numbers
due to the existence of conditions unfavor.
able to the natural propagation Of the
Ip,norIito Inat finrralnonIinn nIv in
years when the parasite breeds in large
numbers, mosquitoes are not 40 trouble
some. Indeed, from what has already
been learned, it is apparent that, were II
not for this natural enemy of the mosquito
the pests would breed unchecked in such
numbers as to make certain sections of the
country almost uninhabitable in certain
periods of the year
1t is admitted by DR.. Stiles and other
Government scientists that considerably
more difficulty will be experienced in propa.
eating the mosquito destroyer in suffi-
cient numbers for general use than was
involved in distributing the parasite oi
"the grasshopper plague throughout the
farming sections Of the West. Although
not generally known, it Is, nevertheless
a fact that the Department of Agriculture
by sending out cultures of this plague tc
many points in the Middle West and South
west, where formerly general blight OF
all crops from grasshopper hordes was nc
uncommon thing, have practically obviated
the possibility of such calamities.
When the researches with regard to the
newly discovered parasite have proceeded
as far, and the expense of propagating the
mosquito destroyer" has been reduced
70 the minimum, it is considered very posi-
bic that the Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service will take an active part
In practically exterminating mosquitoes
in the United States.
II IL interesting TO note that the mos
quito destroyer" belongs to the family
Of gordius or horsehair worms. II is nc
uncommon thing TO see thousands Of these
worms wrggling on plants, trees, shrub
berry and on the earth, following heavy
storm, and it is this which has given rise
10 the common belief in rural districts that
1T rains worms" As a matter OF fact
however, these horsahair worms, like
their more useful cousin, the mosquito
destroyer" live in the abdominal cavities
OF various insects. and a long drought
followed by n heavy rain, usually results
in their leaving the bodies of insects and
returning TO the earth and to their first
stag" Of existence. These species. how.
ever, are not harmful to the insects which
house them. The mosquito destroyer is
hue III