How Much Do Mosquitoes Live?
WouterDepending on the mosquito species, adult females can live up to two months while males can live as short as a week. However, the average life span of an adult female is only about six weeks. Some species of mosquito can live for up to eight weeks.
There are four stages in the mosquito life cycle. In the larval stage, the mosquito larvae spend most of their time in water. They feed on microscopic plants and animals. In the pupal stage, they remain in the water, but don’t feed. They have special appendages called “siphons” that allow them to gather air. The pupa is semi-transparent and has an exoskeleton.
The larvae of some species can grow up to about three-eighths of an inch in size. The hard exoskeleton sheds four times during the larval stage. After hatching, the mosquito larvae begin feeding voraciously.
After the pupa emerges from the cocoon, the adult mosquito uses water surface tension to stay suspended. The mosquito’s abdomen is specialized for digestion of food. This process of digesting food takes a few days. After the mosquito’s wings dry, the adult mosquito begins the cycle all over again.
The female mosquito lays her eggs in the water. These eggs are usually aquatic, but some can be found in land environments. The egg hatches within a day and the larvae take a few days to develop. The development of the mosquito’s larval stage depends on the ambient temperature. In warm climates, the larvae can complete the process in just a few days.
