Chapter THREE

INTRODUCTION TO MOSQUITOES

(CULICIDAE)
 Introduction to culicidae
 Occurrence

 Morphology

 Life cycle
 Classification

 Adult behaviour
 Medical importance
 Mosquito control
 Describe the external morphology of mosquitoes
 Describe the general life cycle of mosquitoes
 Explain the medical importance of mosquitoes
 List the major mosquito control strategies
3. Introduction to Culicidae
 3300 species of mosquitoes in 41 genera in the family Culicidae
 World wide distribution (exceptions Antarctica & a few Islands)
 Found at elevations of 5500m & at depths of 1250m below sea
level
 Family is devided into three subfamilies:
 Toxorhynchitinae

 Anophelinae(anophelines) and
 Culicinae(Culicines)
Introduction...

 The most important pest and vector species:

1. Anopheles
2. Culex
3. Aedes
4. Ochlerotatus
5. Psorophora
6. Haemagogus
7. Sabethes
3.1. Morphology of mosquitoes
A. Adult mosquito:
 Slender and relatively small insects (3 – 6mm in
length)
 Some as small as 2mm & others as large as 19mm
 Body divided into head, thorax, abdomen
1. Head: globular and carries
o 2 big kidney shaped compound eyes
o One pair of long hairy antennae (15 segments)
 Hairs are dense or feathery in the male (Plumose)
 Hairs are scanty in the female (pilose)
o One pair of maxillary palps
 Morphology...
o The mouth parts are collectively known as proboscis
(projects forward): piercing and sucking in the female and
composed of :
 Labium: largest component which ends in labella
 Epipharynyx

 Hypopharynx
 Pair of mandibles (form the sides of food channel)
 Pair of maxillae (form the sides of food channel)
HEAD ANATOMY OF MOSQUITO
HEAD ANATOMY OF MOSQUITO
 The female feeds on blood
• Epipharynx, hypopharynx, mandibles and maxillae enter the
skin forming a tube (the food channel)
• Saliva is poured leading to hyperaemia and preventing blood
coagulation.

 The male feeds on plant juices

2. Thorax:
1. Prothorax

2. Mesothorax: the biggest and is the only part seen dorsally

 Composed of scutum, scutellum and post – scutellum.

3. Metathorax
 Attached to the thorax are:
 3 pairs of legs, one pair attached to each thoracic segment
 Long and slender, covered with scales

 One pair of membraneous wings attached to mesothorax

 Only one pair of functional wings (fore – wings)
 Hind wings are a pair of small, knob like halters
 Wings are long & relatively narrow
 The number & arrangement of the wing veins is virtually the same for all mosquito species
Costa (C) -- the leading edge of the wing
Subcosta (Sc) – 2nd longitudinal vein (behind the costa),
typically unbranched
Radius (R) – 3rd longitudinal vein, 1 - 5 branches reach the
wing margin
Media (M) – 4th longitudinal vein, 1 – 4 branches reach the
wing margin
Cubitus (Cu) – 5th longitudinal vein, 1 – 3 branches reach the
wing margin
Anal veins (A1, A2, A3) -- unbranched veins behind the
3. Abdomen: long and slender, contains 10 segments of which only
8 are seen
 Culicine abdomen covered dorsally & ventrally with mostrly
brown, blackish or whitish scales
 Anophelines devoid of scales
 The last abdominal segment of the female terminates i a pair of
small finger like cerci
 Males a pair of prominent claspers (male external genitalia)
 In unfed mosquitoes the abdomen = thin and slender
 Fed mosquitoes = abdomen greatly distended & resembles an
oval red balloon.
B. Egg: elongate ovoid
C. Larva: composed of head, thorax and abdomen
 Head: one pair of eyes, one pair of short antennae, mouth
brush, mouth parts chewing, covered with several hairs
 Thorax: 3 segments fused together

 Abdomen: 9 visible segments

 8 +9 fused
 Respiratory spiracles open on the 8th segment either
directly or on a tube (siphon)
  The last abdominal segment contains:

1. Two paired groups of long hairs forming the caudal setae

2. A larger fan – like group comprising the ventral brush

 The last abdominal segment ends in two pairs of
transparent , sausage – shaped anal papillae
(osmoregulation)

4. Pupa: comma – shaped, composed of:

 Cephalothorax (head & thorax fused) has 2 horns carying the
respiratory spiracles
 Abdomen: 9 segments ending in one pair of paddles
 Mosquitoes are distinguished from other flies by:

1. The possession of a conspicuous forward projecting

proboscis

2. The presence of numerous appressed scales on the thorax,

legs, abdomen and wing veins

3. A fringe of scales along the posterior margin of the wings

 3.2. Classification of mosquitoes
Taxonomic category Scientific name Common name

Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods

Class Insecta Insects

Order Diptera Flies

Family Culicidae Mosquitoes

3.2. Classification of mosquitoes
 Subfamily culicinae includes two tribes:
 Anopheline: Anopheles
 Culicine: Culex and Aedes

Key for identification of an adult mosquito

Key for identification of mosquito larva
3.3. Life cycle of mosquitoes

3.3.1. Blood feeding and gonotropic cycle

 Most mosquitoes mate shortly after emergenece from pupa
 Mate & sperm discharged to the female spermatheca
 This sperm in spermatheca fertilizes all the eggs during her
life time
 Female mosquito must bite a host and take a blood meal to
obtain the necessary nutrients for the development of the eggs
in the ovaries = anautogenous development
Gonotrophic cycle of female mosquito
Life cycle
E.g. Life cycle of culex
 3.5.2. Oviposition and biology of
eggs
 Females lay about 30 – 300 eggs/one oviposition
(species???)
 Eggs are brown or blackish & 1mm or less long
 Various shapes (elongate, boat...) (speceis???)
 Egg laid (singly, vertical several rows held together
– egg raft)
 Oviposition....
Eggs laid:
1. Directly on water surface
 E.g. Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia
 Eggs of these speceis can not resist dessication

2. Above water line on damp substrates (mud, leaf

litter, inside wall of tree holes, clay water storage
pots)
 E.g. Aedes, Ochlerotatus, Psorophora, Haemagogus
 Eggs of these species can resist dessication
 Oviposition.....
 Aedes, Ochlerotatus and Psorophora eggs may enter a
state of either:
1. Queiescence: hatching only when suitable conditions occur
2. Diapause: not hatching until some specific stimulus
terminates the state of diapause. E.g. temperature
 Larval biology
 Distinguished from other aquatic insect larvae by:
1. Legless
2. Bulbous thorax (wider than both the head and abdomen)
 Four active larval instars
 All mosquito larva require water (wet mud inclusive)
 Well developed head bearing:
1. A pair of antennae
2. A pair of compound eyes
 Prominent mouthbrushes in most species sweeps water
containing minute food particles in to mouth
 Larval biology
 Thorax is roundish in outline
 Various simple and branched hairs, usually long and
conspicuous
 Larval biology
Respiration:
 A pair of spiracles in Mansonia and Coquillettidia
 Siphon in Toxorhynchitinae and Culicinae

Feed on:
 Yeast, bacteria, protozoans and numerous other micro – organisms
 Decaying plant and animal materials found in the water
 A few are carnivorous or cannibalistic
 Larval biology
Larval habitat:
 Range from large & permanent collections of water to
smaller collections of temporary water
 A variety of ‘natural container – habitats’
 Wells & ‘man – made container habitats’
 Shaded larval habitats/sunlit habitats
 Usually absent from:
 Large expanses of uninterrupted water (e.g. lakes)
 Large rivers & fast flowing waters
 Pupal biology
 All mosquito pupae are aquatic and comma – shaped
 Head & thorax fused to cephalothorax
 Cephalothorax has a pair of respiratory trumpets dorsally
 Abdomen is 10 segemented (only 8 visible)
 The last segment terminates at paddles
 Pupal biology
 Pupae do not feed
 Pupae of Mansonia and Coquillettidia they have relatively
long breathing trumpets
 3.4.Adult biology and behavior
 Feeding habits:
 Anthropophagic = Species that usually feed on humans
 Zoophagic = those that feed mainly on other animals
 Mosquitoes that feed on birds = ornithophagic
 Biting habits:
 At any time of the day or night
 Mainly diurnal or nocturnal
 Adult biology and behavior
Females are attracted to hosts by:
 Variety of stimuli emanating from their breath or sweat:
 Carbondioxide

 Lactic acid
 Octenol

 Body odours and warmth

 Movement (minor role)
 Adult biology and behavior
Feeding site:
 Indoor (endophagic)
 Outdoor (exophagic)

Resting site:
 Indoor (endophilic)
 Outdoor (exophilic)
Example:
 Aedes aegypti = mainly anthropophagic, exophagic and exophilic
 Anopheles gambiae = mainly anthropophagic, endophagic, endophilic
 Adult biology and behavior
The feeding behaviour of a species may also change:
 It certain seasons/time anthropophagic, endophagic,
endophilic
 At other times, the species may become predominantly
zoophagic, exophagic, exophilic

Feeding behaviour important in the epidemiology of disease

transmission
 Key for identification of sex of mosquito
Structure Male Female

antennae Plumose Pilose

Maxillary
palps
• As long as the proboscis with As long as the proboscis with
Anopheles clubbed tips slender tips
• Culicines Longer than the proboscis with Very short
tilted tips
 Key for identification of sex of mosquito
Stage Anopheles Culex Aedes
Adult:
• Resting 450 To the surface Parallel Parallel
position
Yellowish brown Yellowish Black back ground with
• Color brown silvery markings on the
back of thorax
(lyre) & leg (spotted)
• As long as the proboscis
• Maxillary with Longer then Longer then the
palps clubbed tip in the male the proboscis in Male
• As long as the proboscis proboscis in Very short in the female
with Male
slender tip in the female Very short in
the female Trilobed with three
• Scutellum One lobe with continous bundles of hair
row of hairs Trilobed with Not spotted
• Wings three bundles
Spotted specially the of hair
anterior margin Not spotted
Stage Anopheles Culex Aedes
Egg Dark brown Yellowish Blackish

Slipper – shaped with Ovoid with one end Spindle – shaped

air cells on broader with ornamented
either side surface

Laid singly, making Laid in groups of Laid singly

geometric patterns 50 – 350 (egg raft)
Larva:
• feeding & Parallel to water Hang by siphonal Hang by siphonal
resting surface tube tube making an
position (floatation helped by making an angle to angle to water
palmate hairs) water Surface surface

Absent Absent
• Palmate hairs On dorsolateral surace
of abdominal segments
Long and narrow Short and broad
• Respiratory Absent With 4 hair tufts With one hair tuft
siphon At the end of
On dorsal surface of 8th At the end of respiratory siphon
• Respiratory abdominal segment respiratory siphon One row on the 8th
spiracles Absent 4 rows on 8th segmt
Stage Anopheles Culex Aedes

Pupa Breathing trumpets Breathing trumpets Breathing trumpets

short and broad long and narrow long and narrow
(conical) (cylinderical) (cylinderical)

Disease Human malaria W. Bancrofti Yellow fever

transmission W. bancrofti Encephalitis Dengue fever
Rift valley fever W. bancrofti
Anopheline & Culicine Distinction
Anopheles mosquito
 3.5.Medical importance
1. Malaria

2. Encephalitis

3. Dog heart worm

4. Filariasis
Medical importance...

1. Anopheles: W. bancrofti, B, malayi, B. timori,

malaria, a few arboviruses

2. Culex: W. bancrofti and certain arboviruses

3. Aedes: yellow fever, dengue, encephalitis viruses &

many other arboviruses, W. bancrofti, B. malayi.
Medical importance...

4. Ochlerotatus: filariasis, encephalitis virus

5. Mansonia: B. malayi, W. bancrofti, a few

arboviruses

6. Haemagogus & Sabethes: Yellow fever and other

arboviruses

7. Psorophora: a few arboviruses, pests

Life Cycle of the Malaria Parasite

 Female anopheline feeds on man and picks up

mature gametocytes
 In mosquito's mid gut, the microgametocyte
(male) divides in to a number of micro
gametes
 Malaria life cycle Cont’d…

 Micro gamete penetrates a macro gamete and

form a zygote (~ ookinet)
 The zygote then penetrate the outer wall of the
mid-gut and becomes oocyst
 Inside the oocyst the nucleolus divides repeatedly
and sporozoites are formed .
 The oocyst burst releasing the sporozoites in to
the mosquito's body cavity
 They move to salivary glands & ready for
inoculation to human.
3.6.Mosquito control

 Can be targeted against the:

 Immature (aquatic) stages and/or

 Adults
Control measures against the
immature stages

 Biological control
 Predators
 Pathogens and parasites

 Physical control
 Filling
in
 Source reduction
 Drainage
 Environmental manipulation
Control against immature…

 Chemical control
 Oils
 Paris green
 Insecticides
 Insect Growth regulators(IGR)

 Genetic control
Control measures against the
Adult stages

 Personal protection
 Mosquito nets
 Screens
 Smallspray guns
 Animal barrier

 Aerosols mists and fogs

 Residual house spraying
 Summary
 Mosquitoes are widely distributed all over the world except
Antarctica and a few islands
 Body divided in to head, thorax and abdomen
 Head carries compound eyes, hairy antennae, and one pair
of maxillary palp.
 The female feeds on blood whereas male feeds on plant
juices
 Thorax has three parts: prothorax, mesothorax and
metathorax
 Abdomen contains 10 segments
 Summary
 Larva has head, thorax and abdomen
 Pupa is comma shaped and composed of cephalothorax
and abdomen
 Mosquitoes distinguished from other flies by forward
projecting proboscis, appressed scales, a fringe of scale
 The female mosquito goes through gonotrophic cycle
 Eggs laid either directly on water surface or above water line
on damp substrates
 Feeding habit could be anthropophagic or zoophagic,
endophilic or exophilic, and endophagic or exophagic.
 Summary
 The feeding behaviour of species may vary based on
conditions
 Culicidae can be classified in to three subfamilies
(Toxorhynchitinae, Anophelinae and Culicinae)
 Malaria, encephalitis and filariasis are some of the diseases
vectored by mosquitoes
 Mosquitoes can be controlled by mechanical, natural
biological and chemical methods.