Malaria Mosquito Eggs

QUESTION

Where do Anopheles mosquito lay their eggs?

ANSWER

Female Anopheles mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing, often stagnant, pools of fresh water. These larvae can be identified in ponds and puddles because unlike other mosquito larvae, they position themselves parallel with the surface of the water, allowing them to breathe air despite not having a respiratory siphon (instead, they have spiracles on their body).

Different species of Anopheles can tolerate very different larval habitats, including very brackish water (high salt content) in mangrove swamps and estuaries to pristine freshwater and also varying degrees of sun exposure and vegetative cover. Many different fish and aquatic invertebrates can predate on mosquito larvae, many of which have been used in attempts to control mosquito populations throughout the world.