HISTORY/BACKGROUND
Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera, True Flies. They have two wings, but unlike other flies, mosquito wings have scales. Female mosquito mouthparts form a long piercing-sucking proboscis. This is required for a blood meal (protein) and to bite animals-warm or cold blooded- and birds. Males differ from females by having a feathery antennae and mouthparts not suitable for piercing the skin. The use of the word "mosquito" is apparently of North American origin and dates back to about 1953. In Europe, mosquitoes were called "gnats" by the English, "Les cousins" by French writers, while the Germans used the name "Stechmucken." In Scandinavian countries mosquitoes were called "myg" and the Greeks called them "konopus." In 300 B.C., Aristotle referred to mosquitoes as "empis" in his "Historia Animalium" where he documented their life cycle and metamorphic abilities. Today, there are 2500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world; about 200 species occur in the United States with 77 species occurring in Florida. Each mosquito species has a Latin scientific name, such as Culex Tarsalis. Culex is the "generic" name of a group of closely related mosquitoes and Tarsalis is the "species" name that represents a group of individuals that are similar in structure and physiology and capable of interbreeding.
 MOSQUITO LIFE CYCLE
The mosquito goes through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle: Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult.
Eggs are laid attached together to form "rafts" or one at a time. Rafts can consist of up to 300 eggs. Mosquitoes prefer water where they are sheltered from wind by grass and weeds. A female mosquito may lay a raft of eggs every third night during her life span.
Larva (plural- larvae) lives in the water and comes to the surface to breathe. Larva shed (molt) their skin four times, growing larger after each molt.
Pupa (plural- pupae) is a stage where the mosquito rests and does not feed. Pupae are mobile and respond to light changes and move (tumble) with a flip of their tails towards the bottom or protective areas.
The adult mosquito emerges, rests, dries, and its body parts harden. The mosquito waits a couple days for a blood meal and or mating.All these stages of development depend on species characteristics and temperature. Some life cycles can take as little as four days or as long as one month. |
