Mosquito Magnet®
What is the Mosquito Life Cycle?
The
mosquito goes through four distinct stages during its life cycle:
- Egg - Hatches when exposed to water;
- Larva - Lives in the water; molts several times; most
species surface to breathe air;
- Pupa - Does not feed; stage just prior to emerging
as adult;
- Adult - Flies short time after emerging and after
its body parts have hardened.
The adult is an active flying insect, while the larvae and pupae are aquatic
and occur only in water. Depending on the species eggs are laid either on
the surface of water or are deposited on moist soil or other objects that
will often be flooded. One method of classifying mosquitoes, which is important
in the control of the larval stage, is by the type of habitat in which the
eggs are laid. Those species that lay eggs singly on the moist soil usually
near the edge of temporary pools of water are known as flood water mosquitoes.
These eggs only hatch after they have been flooded by water. Psorophora,
Aedes, and Ochlerotatus mosquitoes are floodwater mosquitoes which are most
abundant shortly after spring rainfall. Those species that lay eggs on the
surface of the water, either clumped in rafts or as single floating eggs,
are known as permanent water mosquitoes.
Photo Credit: EPA
C/O Leon County Mosquito Control
Tallahassee, FL
