Field Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates ...

Aedes and Ochlerotatus mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters, and many species in these
two genera feed in the morning or at dusk. Some are diurnal (daytime biters), especially on
cloudy days and in shaded areas, or at dawn and dusk. Aedes, particularly Aedes aegypti and
Aedes albopictus, are best known for their ability to transmit dengue fever and yellow fever
viruses in subtropical and tropical areas worldwide. Although these mosquitoes will breed in a
variety of aquatic habitats, some members of each genus are container breeders and will use
small amounts of water in tree holes, other natural cavities, and man-made objects as breeding
sites.
Figure 180. Aedes aegypti larva. Photo: Richard C. Russell.
Figure 181. Aedes aegypti adult. Photo: Richard C. Russell.
Figure 182. Aedes albopictus adult. Photo: Dr. Harold J. Harlan.
Figure 183. Aedes vigilax adult. Photo: Stephen L. Doggett.
Figure 184. Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus larva. Photo: source unknown.
Anopheles mosquitoes are the only vectors of malaria, but, of the approximately 430 known
species, only 30-40 can transmit malaria. Larval Anopheles have been found in fresh- or salt-
water marshes, mangrove swamps, rice fields, grassy ditches, the edges of streams and rivers,
and small, temporary rain pools. Many species prefer habitats with vegetation while others
prefer habitats without vegetation. Some breed in open, sun-lit pools while others are found only
in shaded breeding sites in forests. Anopheles larvae lack a respiratory siphon and for this reason
position their bodies parallel to the surface of the water. Adult Anopheles can be distinguished