Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a small fly in the family Culicidae, and are known to transmit dangerous and possibly deadly illnesses to humans and other animals. A few species of Culex spp. mosquitoes that occur here in Cheyenne are known to transmit West Nile Virus. They pick it up from biting birds, and give it to us, our pets, and livestock.
Life Cycle
Mosquitoes are holometabolous, meaning they go through four stages of life (egg, larva (maggot), pupa, and adult. The adult is the mature and biting stage of their life, that can pick up and transmit pathogens. Some mosquitoes lay eggs in the soil to wait for a flood or heavy rainfall to hatch (Aedes spp.), while others lay them in little rafts on the surface of still water (Culex spp.). Those eggs hatch into larvae (wrigglers) which eat by filter feeding small particles in the water, and breathe by sticking their siphon out of the water to reach air. The larvae molt several times into larger individuals, then go into their pupal (tumblers) stage to finish developing. Once they're ready, a mosquito will emerge out of their pupal casing as a winged adult, rest for a while, then take off into a new terrestrial world.
Body Parts
LARVA: Mosquito larvae are the immature, aquatic stage of their life. They hang upside down in calm water, feeding by filtering little particles through brushes on their mouth. They have a long abdomen terminating in a siphon tube that sticks up out of the water to reach air. When they are disturbed, they'll quickly wiggle down into deeper waters.
ADULT: Adult mosquitoes are the mature, flying, and reproductive stage, They only have one set of wings, with their second pair reduced to halteres, as with other flies. They possess a long proboscis, made up of their mouthparts, that extends from their head to drink nectar and blood. Their bodies and wings are covered in tiny scales, that come in an array of patterns and colors, and helps scientists identify each one to their species. You can tell the difference between a male and female mosquito, because the male mosquitoes have larger, fluffier antennae.
Virus and Disease Transmission
Only the female mosquitoes need to bite humans and other animals to get a blood meal for her eggs. The males just drink nectar from flowers. That means only the females are the ones transmitting illnesses. With West Nile Virus, the female mosquito must first bite an infected bird for the virus to enter her body. If it can persist in her body, then the next time she takes a blood meal, that virus can transfer to that animal (or human) through her saliva. Few mosquitoes actually have WNV, and even fewer can transmit it to people. A small portion of the people with West Nile even develop symptoms, but even with these small chances, it is still very important to protect yourself, family, and pets from mosquitoes.
The best way to reduce mosquito populations, is to stop them from having a place to breed in the first place. This is also the most challenging due to jurisdiction boundaries, freshwater habitat for other wildlife, livestock watering, and all the secret hidden areas mosquitoes can lay eggs. Buckets, barrels, toys, bird baths, culverts, and anywhere water collects and remains for two weeks can produce mosquitoes.