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Mosquitos Have Four Distinct Stages Of Life |
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The mosquito goes through four
distinct stages of its life cycle: Egg, Larva (wiggler),
Pupa (tumbler), and Adult. |
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Egg: The eggs are
usually attached together to form a “raft” (around 200
eggs) although some species lay their eggs one at a time.
When laid on water (normal place for most species) they
float on the surface. The eggs hatch into larvae within 48
hours. |
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Larva: The larva lives
in the water coming to the surface to breath. It sheds
it’s skins four times, growing larger each time. Most
larva species have a siphon tube for breathing as they
hang upside down from the water surface. During the forth
molt the larva changes into a pupa. “Wigglers” live in
water from 4 to 14 days depending on species and water
temperature. |
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Pupa: This stage is a
resting, non-feeding stage of development. The pupa is
lighter than water and therefore floats on the surface. It
responds to changes and tumbles with a flip of its tail
toward protective areas. This is the time the mosquito
changes into an adult. When the development is completed,
the new adult splits open the pupal skin and the mature
adult mosquito emerges. “Tumblers” live in water from 1 to
4 days according to species and water temperature. In the
Culex species in the southern United States, this process
takes about two days. |
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Adult: The newly
emerged adult rests on the surface of the water for a
while allowing its wings and body parts to dry and harden
before it can fly. Mating and blood feeding does not occur
for a couple of days after the adult emerges. Normal life
cycle for species varies from as little as four days to as
long as one month (some species even longer). |
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