The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-10-08

Of the United States and the
states which are Waging war
on the mosquito have discoy-
Il cred a new method OF eXter,
minating the pest This
method consists in prOpagating and
distributing a parasitic worm which
lodges in the body of the mosquito
and kills it or checks its egg-laying
powers.
1t has for several years been recog-
nized that the mosquito is one OF the
worse public enemies Of the American
people Upward of $4,000 deaths &C.
cur from malaria, which is spread by
the mosquito alone. This figure does
not count the vast number OF people
whose systems are weakened by ma
laria aud thus easily succumb to 9th
or diseases. The discomfort caused
BY the mosquito in many parts of the
country is also a grave injury to pros
perity. Therefore, anything which
tends to eXterminate the mosquito is
of immense public benefit.
How greatly some regions are in
need of relief from mosquitoes has
just been shown by the dispatches
from Chenier all Tigre, large and
fertile island in the Gulf, Off New Or
leans. The mosquitoes there have bred
in such quantities that the inhabi-
tants have been forced to keep in
doors altogether, while the cattle have
been killed by the mosquitoes filling
I'D their nOstrilS and threats and cho
king them.
The new worm which kill the mos
quito is known to science as agomer-
mis- understanding "roundworm OF
the mosquito -and is recognized as
destructive parasite of the wicked III
sect. It is also called the "hairwOrm'
In many places on account of its re-
sembance to a small hair. 1t spends
at least part of its life in the belly OF
the mosquito, and, in the case of the
female, when it does not kill her, 1t
prevents her from reproducing her
species-a result equally satisfactory.
Very little is known of the life his
tory of the worm, or how it spends
the early stages of its existence. 1t Is
new discovery. 1t was first found
and identified, only short time ago,
by DR.. John B. Smith, who, as ento-
mologist attached TO the New Jersey
agricultural experiment station, at
New Brunswick, has charge of the
mosquito survey of his state, which
has widespread reputation for pro-
ducing a remarkable crop of mosqui-
toes.
There are, as is we'll known, many
species of mosquitoes in New Jersey
But the worst of them all, so far as
ability to annoy goes, is the brute
with striped legs. This is the real and
original Jersey mosquito" 1t breeds
In marshes, though it flies thence for
great distances, and scientific men
know 1t as "cuIex solicitans.'
Necessarily, this species cuts very
large figure in the problem which Dr.
Smith is engaged in tackling. With
a view to Studying it's life history in
detail. he has built on marsh cage
of wire net, with framework of scant
ling, big enough for himself to occu
py. In this cage he has reared the
marsh mosquitoes, watching them
through all the stages Of their de-
velopment, in the midst of their nat
ural surroundings. Incidentally, ne
has subjected many specimens to mi
croscopic examination, to find out how
the egg-sacS of the females developed
and other such points.
Or number of occasions, while
thus studying the female insects, ne
noticed that their abdomens seemed
abnormally enlarged. Finally, his
curiosity being aroused by this phe
nomenon, he tore open the belly Of
one of the insects. and found inside
of it tWo-hair-like worms about thirt
of an inch long, and nothing else
They were something new to him
and so he sent the worms to the gov
eminent helminthologist - signifyin&
worm MANN Washington
The worm man, DR.. Charles Wardel
Stiles, promptly identified them a:
round worms" of the kind popularl!
known as hair worms" or wire
worms" He also gave them the lont
Latin name already mentioned, ant
said that they were undoubtedly para
sites of the mosquito. But in thu
meantime DR.. Smith had started in t.
examine large numbers of marsh mos
quitoes for worms. In lot that wa
sent in from Barnegat bay he founI
many infested. In fact, every collee
ton received at the experiment sta
ton from Raritan river to Cape Ma,
yielded numerous worms.
tle thinks it beyond doubt that tn
parasite shortens the life of the mos
quito it infects-though this, 0
course, is matter unimportant com
pared to the prevention of reproduc
ton. Apparently, the worm does no
diminish the insects appetite at all