Mosquito Emerging

Taken August 12, 2007

This photograph depicts a mosquito (Culex pipiens) emerging from its pupa. Culex pipiens tends to live and breed in an urban surrounding where the larvae and pupae can develop in stagnant water. This species primarily feeds on birds, although certain individuals and strains may readily bite humans. Male mosquitoes do not drink blood – this role is left exclusively for the female in order to obtain proteins for egg development. Culex pipiens may be found on all continents except Antarctica.

The lifecycle of a Culex mosquito consists of 4 main stages: The female lays her eggs in a raft on the surface of still and stagnant water, rich in decomposing organic matter. The rotting matter is essential for the larval stage to feed upon. The female adult mosquito can locate this habitat by detecting the gases given off during decomposition. The larvae have a special siphon through which they can obtain oxygen from the air. After 1-2 weeks, depending on the temperature, the larvae then develop into pupae. The pupal stage is one of rest, when the encased mosquito develops into its adult form – this takes about 2 days. After development, the adult mosquito emerges from the pupal case in only a few minutes, after which it rests on the surface of the water for its body to harden and dry before flying away.

This image was taken at about 4x magnification.

Categories: All Photographs, Categories, Countries, Macro, United Kingdom