Other Common Names
wigglers (larvae), tumblers (pupae)
Explanation of Names
CULICIDAE: from the Latin "culex, culicis" (a gnat)
Numbers
166 species in 13 genera in North America (
Nearctica.com)
Identification
Wings with scales on veins and along margins; legs and proboscis long; antennae with 6 or more segments, plumose on males and short-haired on females
Habitat
Larvae are aquatic, developing mainly in standing water (temporary pools, water in discarded containers, saltmarshes, treeholes, etc..). However, some mosquitos, like some species of Anopheles, lay eggs in very slow moving streams and brooks.
Season
Mostly spring and summer in temperate climates
Food
Male and female adults feed on nectar and plant juices and only females feed on blood because a blood meal is usually required for development of eggs. Females can feed on the blood of amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals - including humans.
Click here to learn how mosquitos bloodfeed.
Larvae feed on algae, protozoans, and organic debris filtered from the water. However, a few species are predaceous on other mosquito larvae
Life Cycle
The eggs are laid either on the surface of standing water or above the waterline in areas subject to flooding; eggs hatch in spring and larvae complete 4 stages of development before pupating; larva stage may last from less than a week to more than a month, depending mostly on temperature and species; pupa stage typically lasts less than a week; adults emerge directly from pupae at the water surface; from one to several generations per year, depending on species and latitude.
Click here to view the various life stages of a mosquito. Remarks
Female mosquitoes are vectors (i.e. carriers and transmitters) of major diseases, including malaria [caused by a protozoan], yellow fever [virus], filariasis [nematode], dengue [virus], and certain types of encephalitis [virus].
Carbon dioxide, expelled in the breath of animals, attracts female mosquitoes that are looking for a blood meal. They detect carbon dioxide in the air and travel upwind to the source.
Internet References
Photographic Guide to Common Mosquitoes of Florida; PDF doc [8 MB] images of larva and adults of 11 genera & more than 30 species, with arrows pointing to key field marks (Michele Cutwa and George O'Meara, U. of Florida)
text description of adult characteristics of 32 species in Florida, with links to photos of all life stages (U. of Florida)
adult close-up photos and descriptions of 17 species in Saskatchewan (U. of Saskatchewan)
New Jersey Mosquito homepage biology, habitat, anatomy, checklists, and other info (Rutgers U.)
Review of Recent Literature on Mosquitoes of North America; PDF doc - lists example states/provinces of occurrence for all(?) mosquito species in North America, with numbered references (Stanley Carpenter, California Dept. of Health, 1974)
Zootaxa. Review of Taxonomy.
