Mosquitoes

Question 1

Mosquito - lifecycle

Answer 1

10 day lifecycle in tropics - longer in colder weather
Adult emerges from pupa
Adult females mates after emergence from pupa and stores sperm in spermathecae in abdomen to fertilise successive batches of eggs
Blood feeding by female leads to egg development
Females lay eggs in water - 150 eggs per cycle
Larvae hatches soon after eggs [2-3 days] or after delay
Larvae swims, feeds, breathes air and develop through 4 larval stages [instars]
4th larval instar metamorphoses into pupa
Pupa swims and breaths air but does not feed

Question 2

Mosquito basic classification [subfamilies]

Answer 2

Family - culcidae
Subfamilies:
-Anophelinae - anopheles
-Culicinae - culex, aedes, mansonia
-Toxorhynchitinae [1 genus, very large, do not feed on blood]

Question 3

Anophelines - eggs

Answer 3

Laid singly, posses floats

Question 4

Culicines - eggs

Answer 4

Aedes - laid singly, can survive desiccation

Culex - rafts - hydrophobic eggs

Question 5

Anophelines - larvae

Answer 5

No siphon, lie parallel to surface

Question 6

Culicines - larvae

Answer 6

Siphon, larvae lie at an angle

Aedes - siphon short and barrel shape
1 pair subventral tufts

Culex - siphon long and narrow
>1 pair subventral tufts

Question 7

Anophelines - adults

Answer 7

Rest at angle

Question 8

Culicines - adults

Answer 8

Rest parallel

Question 9

Anophelines - females

Answer 9

Palps same length as proboscis

Question 10

Culicines - females

Answer 10

Palps shorter than proboscis

Question 11

Anophelines - males

Answer 11

Bushy atennae
Palps same length as proboscis
Palp swollen at ends

Question 12

Culicines - males

Answer 12

Bushy atennae
Palps same length as proboscis
Palps taper at ends