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What is life cycle of mosquitoes?
What is life cycle of mosquitoes?
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Mosquitoes are insects that belong to class Insecta of phylum Arthropoda.
They can be classified into different types – Aedes, Anopheles, Culex
Aedes:
These spread diseases like Chikunguniya, Dengue and yellow fever. These breed on artificially stored water. They can be easily identified with white patches or dots in their body.
Anopheles:
The female Anopheles is the vector for malaria. It can be identified by its sitting posture as it forms an angle with the surface on which it is resting. However, it breeds on clean water.
Culex:
These are vectors for the diease Filariasis. These breed on dirty water and can be identified as they sit horizontal with the ground, i.e., without making an angle and these lack spots on their bodies.
Mosquitoes follow a life cycle that involves four stages – egg, larva, pupa and adults.
1. Egg –
The female mosquito lays eggs on water surfaces. It lays approximately 100 eggs at a time.
Any stagnant water can attract a female mosquito, be it a bowl of water, pond, tire, vases etc. any stagnant water.
The eggs are hard and can survive for at least 8 months.
2. Larva –
Larvae emerge based on water activity. When the water level passes the eggs, i.e., when it covers the eggs, they hatch and the larvae emerge. Rainwater or addition of water physically triggers the eggs.
3. Pupa –
Larvae molts 3 times to become a pupa. A pupa will undergo development to form wings and body of an adult mosquito. They leave the water once they are fully developed into an adult.
4. Adult –
the male and female mosquitoes follow a different standard of living. Not all mosquitoes feed on human blood, it is the females that feed on blood while the male mosquitoes feed on nectar from flowers.
This was the summary of life cycle of a mosquito. I hope it helps.