Native mosquitoes. Multiple US species. Important prey for many predators despite human dislike.

Also called: Mosquito

Native status: Native; multiple species across North America

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 4–10 mm depending on species
Weight~2 mg
LifespanAdults 1–8 weeks; aquatic larvae 1–2 weeks
OrderDiptera
FamilyCulicidae

§ Encyclopedia

Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. Mosquitoes have a slender, segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and a specialized, highly elongated, proboscis, adapted for piercing and sucking. All mosquitoes drink nectar from flowers; females of many species have adapted to also drink blood. The group diversified during the Cretaceous period. Evolutionary biologists view mosquitoes as micropredators, small animals that parasitise larger ones by drinking their blood without immediately killing them. Medical parasitologists view mosquitoes as vectors of disease, carrying protozoan parasites or bacterial or viral pathogens from one host to another.

Source: Wikipedia — Mosquito Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slender fly with long thin legs; long thin proboscis used by females for blood-feeding; scaled wings.

Similar species. Crane flies (much larger; do not bite). Midges (smaller; do not bite). Other Diptera species.

Voice. Wing buzz during flight; female wing-beat is the species-specific "song" used to identify mates.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Adults: nectar (males and females) plus female blood meals for egg development. Larvae: filter-feed microorganisms in standing water.

Behavior. Over 175 mosquito species native to North America. Most species rarely or never bite humans; only a few dozen species are significant disease vectors. Important food source for fish (especially mosquitofish), bats, dragonflies, swallows, and many other species. Larvae are essential aquatic food web components. The current emphasis on global mosquito eradication ignores native species' ecological roles.

§ Range

Across North America

§ Habitat

Wetlands, standing water

§ Threats

Wetland loss for "mosquito control."

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the mosquito (native) is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Maintain wetlands. Use mosquito control measures that don't harm beneficial insects.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • American Mosquito Control Association
  • CDC Vector-Borne Diseases
  • iNaturalist