A Treat for the Mosquitoes

Mosquito Life Cycle for Class 5 Science

The mosquito is a harmful insect that feeds on liquids. There are different varieties of mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti, Culex mosquito, Anopheles species, etc. In this concept, the students will know about the different stages of the mosquito life cycle.

After reading the concept, students will be able to:

• Know the fact behind the humming sound of mosquito.
• Know about the carrier for the pathogen of zika fever.
• Identify the life stage that undergoes moulting in insects.
• Explain the life stages- egg, larva, pupa and adult.

Each concept is explained to class 5 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Mosquito Life Cycle provided in PDF format.

• Mosquitoes are famous for spreading some of the worst diseases, like malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, and dengue.
• They are insects and they belong to Arthropoda.
• The members of Arthropoda are characterised by joint legs.

Mosquito Body Parts:

• Mosquitoes have sucking and piercing mouthparts.
• The body of the mosquito is slender and elongated. On reaching maturity, the body gets covered with scales.
• Veins can be seen in the wings.
• The antenna is more feathery in males as compared to females.
• The males survive only on plant juices, whereas the females require blood to meet the nutrient demands for laying eggs.
• The humming of mosquitoes is actually the high-frequency sound that is caused by the beating of their wings.

Mosquitoes Species:

1. Anopheles Species:
• It is also known as the carrier of malaria.
• It can be recognised when it is in a resting position.
• Its proboscis, head, and abdomen lie in a straight line in the resting position.
• Female Anopheles lay eggs in water that is covered with algal growth and other vegetation.
• The life cycle of an Anopheles mosquito varies from 18 days to several weeks.

2. Culex Mosquito:
• It is the carrier of viral encephalitis.
• At the resting position, the body of this mosquito lies parallel to the resting surface, and the head is bent downward.
• The female’s abdomen is blunt.
• Female mosquitoes lay eggs in freshwater.
• The life cycle of this mosquito lasts up to 14 days.

3. Aedes Aegypti:
• It is the carrier of the pathogens of yellow fever, dengue, and zika fever.
• Its body is parallel to the resting surface, with the proboscis bent downward.
• Females lay eggs generally in floodwater and rain pools.
• The life cycle of this mosquito lasts for around 10 days.

Mosquito Life Cycle:

A mosquito completes its life cycle in almost 2 weeks. However, the number of days differs in species and varies based on external factors like temperature and availability of food.
The life cycle of a mosquito comprises the following stages:

1. Egg:
• An adult female mosquito lays eggs near or on stagnant water.
• Female mosquitoes are attracted by the smell of even a tiny amount of water.
• Female mosquitoes generally lay around 100-300 eggs at a time. The number varies from species to species.
2. Larva:
• Hatching of eggs requires a time of 2-3 days.
• The eggs are to be submerged underwater for the hatching of larvae.
• The larva of a mosquito is also called a wriggler.
• The eggs may not hatch in case the water dries off.
• Larva feeds on microorganisms in the water.
• The larval stage lasts from 3 to 14 days, depending on external conditions like light and temperature. The duration varies from species to species.
• Moulting occurs in the larva for its conversion to a pupa.
• The larva of a mosquito undergoes moulting thrice.
3. Pupa:
• They are also called tumblers.
• They stay in the water for around 1-4 days.
• It is a resting stage.
• They do respond to light and temperature changes.
• The mosquito develops into an adult during this stage and emerges out of the covering at maturity.
4. Adult:
• Adult male and female mosquitoes emerge from the pupa on maturity.
• The male mosquitoes start feeding on plant juices and nectar.
• Female mosquitoes feed on human and animal blood to lay eggs. Blood is required to fulfil the nutrient requirements for laying eggs.
• Once the females lay eggs, the cycle repeats.

New Words

Did You Know?

• There are more than 3500 species of mosquitoes on Earth.
• Mosquitoes can hibernate like other animals.
• Mosquitoes can drink blood weighing approximately 3 times their body weight.
• Mosquitoes can smell carbon dioxide from 75 feet away, and for this reason, they can locate their host from a long distance.
• The redness that appears after a mosquito bite is due to the saliva it injects to stop blood coagulation.