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The mosquito has four life stages: egg, larvae, pupa and adult.
Eggs
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Female requires multiple blood meals for egg nourishment
- Females lay eggs singly or in raft-like masses
- 100-300 eggs produced in one laying
- Multiple layings occur throughout season
Larvae
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Live in standing or slow moving water
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Obtain oxygen from the water surface
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Shed their skin (molt) four times
Pupa
- Non-feeding
- Emerges from pupa onto water surface
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Males are non-biters
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Female responsible for disease transmission
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Sheltered areas for females to overwinter. They emerge and lay eggs when conditions are right in the spring.
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Protected eggs (can survive up to 3 years under right conditions)
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Spring egg hatch of males.
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Standing water or moist soil conditions to lay and for the eggs to hatch.
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8-16 days from egg to adult depending on species and water temperatures.
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Blood for females to nourish eggs. Females are the only biting mosquitoes.
They bite:
- Birds
- Animals
Shallow, slow moving or standing water such as:
- Ponds
- Road-side ditches
- Piles of used tires
- Home sites (see check list)
Eggs are laid individually in the moist soil above the water line. The eggs over winter and are stimulated by raising snow melt water which is commonly manunipulated by local farmers in the form of flood irrigated pastures and fields.
In 2008, ten species of mosquitoes have been identified in the Alamosa Mosquito Control District.
Checklist includes external links to other sources of information, see also some our descriptions below.
Aedes vexans*
Ochlerotatus dorsalis*
Culex tarsalis*
Ochlerotatus idahoensis
Ochlerotatus increpitus
Culiseta incidens**
Ochlerotatus melanimon
Ochlerotatus excrucians**
Culiseta inornata*
Ochlerotatus nigromaculis
*Links found at: South Dakota State University
**Links found at BugGuide.net
***Links found at Napa County Mosquito Abatement District
One of the main vectors for WNV, WEE and SLE!
Adult female overwinters.
Adult Characters:
- Proboscis with white band, thorax brown with sparse white scales, abdomen blunt, abdominal sternites pale scales, v-shaped patterns, tarsi with basal and apical bands.
- Male with similar pattern.
- Siphon with 5 pairs of setae in a straight line. No basal pair of setal tufts. To the naked eye, larvae look like they have really long siphons in comparison to the other species.
- Larval Habitat: Fresh and polluted water that is open and sunlit.
A potential vector of WNV.
Adult female overwinters.
- The BIG mosquito! Setal tuft on the ventral side of the subcostal wing vein. Brown in color. Abdomen blunt, with basal, pale bands. No bands on tarsi. Wings with dark and light scales.
- Adults and Larvae: uncommon during the hottest and driest part of summer.
- Siphon with basal pair of setal tufts.
- A wide range of sunlit habitats: seepage pools from irrigation, roadside ditches, pasture pools and occasionally containers.
Alamosa's Nuisance Biters Not Westnile Vector/ Carriers
A nuisance biter.
A flood plains mosquito. Overwinter as eggs.
- Brown. Thorax covered with scales, dk brown stripes on dorsal thorax. End of abdomen pointed or cone shaped. Abdomen with white scales, and a pair of dk boot patterns on each tergite. Tergite VII all white setae. Wings appear yellowish to naked eye.
- Siphon with one pair of setae, no setal tufts at base. Saddle not completely encircling anal segment and not pierced by setae.
- The preferred habitat is temporary grassy pools exposed to direct sunlight. They are tolerant of fresh and alkaline water.
A vicious biter, especially at dusk and in shaded areas during the day.
A flood plains mosquito.
Overwinters as an egg.
- Black. Abdomen with pale bands. Wing veins: costa, 1,3,5 dark scales other veins pale scaled.
- Siphon with pectan setae distal 1-3 more widely spaced.
- Snowmelt pools or in overflow pools along streams, open meadows, roadside ditches and shaded areas along streams.