Life Cycle of Mosquitoes
What is the life cycle of mosquitoes?
Life Cycle of Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are insects that belong to the class Insecta of the phylum Arthropoda.
They can be classified into different types: Aedes, Anopheles, Culex
Aedes:
These spread diseases like Chikungunya, Dengue, and yellow fever. These breed on artificially stored water. They can be easily identified with white patches or dots on 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 in clean water.
Culex:
These are vectors for the disease Filariasis. These breed on dirty water and can be identified as they sit horizontally with the ground, i.e., without making an angle, and they lack spots on their bodies.
Mosquitoes follow a life cycle that involves four stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
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, a pond, a 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 the addition of water physically triggers the eggs.
3. Pupa –
Larvae molt 3 times to become a pupa. A pupa will undergo development to form the 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 different standards 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 the life cycle of a mosquito. I hope it helps.
– Written By Manpreet
