It’s a two week life cycle that starts after a female lays eggs on the surface of standing water. Over the next 10 days the insect moves through four stages, devouring bacteria and algae along the way.
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- Egg stage: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, anywhere from 100 to 250 at a time.
- Larva stage: The eggs hatch into larva, which live in water and feed on tiny particles, dead plants and algae. They’re often called “wigglers” because that’s how they move in the water.
- Pupa stage: The mosquito pupae live at the water surface and do not eat. When disturbed they tumble down to the safety of deep water and eventually float back to the surface.
- Adult stage: The mosquitoes are now a flying land insect. Only the female mosquito bites and feeds on the blood of humans or other animals, while the males feed on plant nectar and fruit juice. Female mosquitoes can live for many days or weeks, while males usually live just a few days after they mate.
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Watch the infographic above for more information on the life cycle.
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