A mosquito belongs to the family Culicidae, about 3,500 species of familiar insects in the fly order, Diptera, are very much important in public health due to the bloodsucking habits of the females. Mosquitoes are commonly known to transmit serious diseases, like yellow fever, zika fever, malaria, filariasis, and dengue. Like all other true flies, mosquitoes also possess two wings, but unlike other flies, mosquito wings are composed of scales. Female mosquitoes’ mouthparts possess a long piercing-sucking proboscis. Males usually differ from females by possessing feathery antennae and mouthparts do not possess the ability for piercing skin. The principal food of a mosquito is nectar or any other similar sugar source.
Classification of Mosquitoes
The family Culicidae is further classified into two subfamilies:
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Anophelinae
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Culicinae
Scientific Names of Some Mosquito Species
The scientific names of some mosquito species are listed below:
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Anopheles gambiae
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Culiseta longiareolata
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Aedes aegypti
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Aedes albopictus
Life Cycle of a Mosquito
All the mosquito species undergo four different stages during their life cycle:
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Egg – gets hatched when it is exposed to water.
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Larva – lives in water and undergoes molting several times.
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Pupa – this stage does not feed; it is a stage just before emerging as an adult.
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Adult – flies in a short time after emerging and even after its body parts have become fully hardened.
The first three stages are seen to occur inside water, but the adult form is an active flying insect. Only the female mosquito is meant for biting and feeding on the blood of humans or other animals. Once she obtains a blood meal, it lays the eggs directly on or near water, soil or at the base of some plants, mainly in places that remain filled with water. The eggs can survive dry conditions only for a few months.
As the eggs hatch in water and a mosquito larva emerges. The duration of time to hatch depends upon water temperature, food and also on the type of mosquito. The larva lives inside the water, feeds and develops into the third stage of the life cycle which is known as the pupa or “tumbler.” The pupa also lives in the water but does not feed.
Finally, the mosquito emerges from the pupal stage, after two days or a week. The life cycle of mosquitoes mainly takes up to two weeks, but based on the conditions, it can range from four days to as long as a month. The adult mosquito emerges on the surface of water and flies away, it now becomes ready to begin its life cycle.
The Yellow Fever Mosquito
The yellow fever virus can be found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America. This virus spreads to people via the bite of an infected mosquito, specifically Aedes aegypti. Yellow fever is seen to be a very rare cause of infection among U.S. travellers. The severity of illness ranges from a fever along with aches and pains and further to severe liver disease accompanied with bleeding and yellowing of skin (i.e. jaundice). Yellow fever infection is mainly diagnosed depending upon laboratory testing, a person’s symptoms, and travel history. There is not any medication to treat this infection. To prevent getting sick from yellow fever, one can use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and should get vaccinated against the virus.
Symptoms of Yellow Fever
Some people will develop yellow fever illness with initial symptoms including:
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Sudden onset of fever
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Chills
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Severe headache
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Back pain
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General body aches
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Nausea
Some severe symptoms include:
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High fever
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Yellow skin (jaundice)
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Bleeding
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Shock
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Organ failure
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Severe yellow fever disease is proven to be deadly. If a person develops any of these symptoms, then they are advised to immediately consult a healthcare provider.
Conclusion
Since mosquitoes are extremely prolific carriers of infectious diseases, preventing them from feeding on humans is considered to be a key for global health strategy. The infection to a disease can be reduced via the use of mosquito repellent, wearing of long clothes that covers the arms and legs, and insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets. Mosquito populations can be controlled via the elimination of sources of standing water, which helps in providing ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes. A surface film of oil can be applied to standing water to clog the breathing pores of larvae, which can also be killed via larvicides. Insecticides are also used at times in order to destroy adult mosquitoes that are present indoors. So, here we come to an end of this topic. We hope that you were able to grasp knowledge on mosquitoes.