Safari Ltd. | The Life Cycle of a Mosquito

Mosquitoes begin their lives in water, where their eggs are laid in floating rafts. The larvae that hatch feed on organic matter in the water whilst developing into pupae. A few days later, an adult mosquito emerges from the water, waits for its wings to dry, and flies away.

Scientific name: Culicidae

Characteristics: Mosquitoes undergo a dramatic transformation and spend three of their four developmental stages in water. As adults, only the females feed on blood; the males are only interested in mating.

Size and colour: These flexible figures show how mosquitoes develop through very different stages. The adult mosquito measures 10 cm from wing tip to wing tip, so all details are enlarged.

The life cycle of a mosquito is part of the Safariology® collection.