Life Cycle of Mosquito

1) Egg:
Different species of mosquitos lay their eggs differently. For example: Culiseta species lay their eggs stuck together in rafts of up to 200 while Ades lay their eggs singly. Most of the eggs hatch within 48 hours and water is one of the most essential requirement for their survival.

2) Larva:
Eggs hatch into larvae which lives in the water but comes up to the surface of water for breathing. It grows further by shedding their skin for four times. They grow and become large when they shed their skin. They have siphon tubes which is used for the purpose of breathing and are hung upside down on the surface of water. They feed on the organic matter and microorganisms present in the water.

3) Pupa:
The larva on shedding their skin for the fourth time gets converted into pupa. This stage is often referred to as the resting and the non feeding stage of development. They are mobile and responds to certain changes in the environment and posses a tail which helps them to move to a protective area.

4) Adult:
The complete development of the pupa leads to the splitting of the skin of the pupa resulting in the formation of an adult mosquito. This stays on water for a short period of time hardening its body parts. Once it is completely dry and strong enough, it emerges out of water beginning a new life cycle.

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(Useful for UPSC General Studies, APPSC Group 1 Group 2 , Mains Material, Paper 1, Paper 4 Section 1 Section 2 Section 3, ROLE AND IMPACT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA, GENERAL AWARENESS WITH THE MODERN TRENDS IN LIFE SCIENCES, DEVELOPMENT & ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS)