Mosquito Biology

Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera, the True Flies. Like all True Flies, they have two wings, but unlike other flies, their wings have scales and their mouth parts (in female mosquitoes) form a long piercing-sucking proboscis. Males differ from females by having feathery antennae and mouth parts not suitable for piercing skin. Nectar is the principal food source for male mosquitoes.

There are close to 3,000 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world, of which 150 species occur in the United States, 61 species occur in North Carolina and 45 species occur in New Hanover County. Each of the species has a Latin scientific name, such as Aedes albopictus. Aedes is the "generic" name of a group of closely related mosquitoes and albopictus is the "species" name, which represents a group of individuals that are similar in structure and physiology and capable of interbreeding. Below is information about the different areas of the Mosquito Biology Section.

Life Cycle: Discusses the life cycle of mosquitoes typically found in New Hanover County.

Mosquito Habitats: Discusses common mosquito habitats found in New Hanover County.  Includes slide shows.

Mosquito Species: Lists the common mosquito species found in New Hanover County.