Editing Anopheles (section)

== Life cycle ==

Like all mosquitoes, anophelines go through four stages in their life cycles: [[egg (biology)|egg]], [[larva]], [[pupa]], and [[imago|adult]]. The first three stages are aquatic and together last 5–14 days, depending on the species and the ambient temperature. The adult stage is when the female ''Anopheles'' acts as [[malaria]] [[Vector (epidemiology)|vector]]. The adult females can live up to a month (or more in captivity), but most probably do not live more than two weeks in nature.<ref name="cdc">{{citation-attribution|1={{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/mosquitoes/ |title=Anopheles Mosquitoes |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |access-date=December 21, 2016 |date=October 21, 2015}} }}</ref>

=== Eggs ===

[[File:Anopheles egg 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|''Anopheles'' eggs with their distinctive side floats]]

Adult females lay 50–200 eggs per [[oviposition]]. The eggs are quite small (about {{convert|0.5|mm|in|sigfig=1}} × {{convert|0.2|mm|in|sigfig=1}}). Eggs are laid singly and directly on water. They are unique in that they have floats on either side. Eggs are not resistant to drying and hatch within 2–3 days, although hatching may take up to 2–3 weeks in colder climates.<ref name="cdc"/>

=== Larvae ===

The mosquito larva has a well-developed head with mouth brushes used for feeding, a large [[Thorax (insect anatomy)|thorax]] and a nine-segment [[abdomen]]. It has no legs. In contrast to other mosquitoes, the ''Anopheles'' larva lacks a respiratory siphon, so it positions itself so that its body is parallel to the surface of the water. In contrast, the feeding larva of culicine mosquitoes attach themselves to the water surface with the posterior siphon, the body pointing downwards. Larvae breathe through [[Spiracle (arthropods)|spiracle]]s located on the eighth abdominal segment and so must come to the surface frequently. The larvae spend most of their time feeding on [[algae]], [[bacteria]], and other microorganisms in the thin surface layer. They dive below the surface only when disturbed. Larvae swim either by jerky movements of the entire body or through [[Marine propulsion|propulsion]] with the mouth brushes.<ref name="cdc"/>

Larvae develop through four stages, or [[instar]]s, after which they [[metamorphosis|metamorphose]] into [[pupae]]. At the end of each instar, the larvae molt, shedding their exoskeletons, or skin, to allow for further growth. The larvae occur in a wide range of habitats, but most species prefer clean, unpolluted water. Larvae of ''Anopheles'' have been found in freshwater or saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, rice fields, grassy ditches, the edges of streams and rivers, and small, temporary rain pools. Many species prefer habitats with vegetation. Others prefer habitats with none. Some breed in open, sun-lit pools, while others are found only in shaded breeding sites in forests. A few species breed in tree holes or the [[leaf axil]]s of some plants.<ref name="cdc"/>

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File:AnophelesLarvaPhoto CDCHarryWeinburgh publicdomain.jpg|''Anopheles'' larva
File:Anopheles Culex larvae feeding position-USDA.jpg|Feeding position of an ''Anopheles'' larva (A), culicine larva with its siphon (B)
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=== Pupae ===

The pupa (also known as a tumbler) is comma-shaped when viewed from the side. The head and [[Thorax (insect anatomy)|thorax]] are merged into a [[cephalothorax]], with the abdomen curving around underneath it. As with the larvae, the pupa must come to the surface frequently to breathe, which it does through a pair of respiratory trumpets on its cephalothorax. After a few days as a pupa, the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax splits and the adult mosquito emerges.<ref name="cdc"/>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=150 heights=225>
Anopheles (YPM IZ 093745).jpeg|[[Pupa]]
File:The pupa of a mosquito (Anopheles maculipennis). Reproductio Wellcome V0022598 (cropped).jpg|''[[Anopheles maculipennis|A. maculipennis]]'' pupa, breathing at the surface
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=== Adults ===

[[File:Anopheles Culex adult resting position-USDA.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Resting positions of adult ''Anopheles'' (A, B) are more upright than that of [[Culicinae]] (C).]]

Like all mosquitoes, adult ''Anopheles'' species have slender bodies with three sections: head, thorax and abdomen. The head is specialized for acquiring sensory information and for feeding. It contains the eyes and a pair of long, many-segmented [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]]. The antennae are important for detecting host odours, as well as of breeding sites where females lay eggs.<ref name="cdc"/> Female mosquitoes carrying ''[[Plasmodium]]'' parasites, the causative agents of malaria, are significantly more attracted to human breath and odours than uninfected mosquitoes.<ref name="Smallegange van Gemert van de Vegte-Bolmer Gezan 2013">{{cite journal |last1=Smallegange |first1=Renate C. |last2=van Gemert |first2=Geert-Jan |last3=van de Vegte-Bolmer |first3=Marga |last4=Gezan |first4=Salvador |last5=Takken |first5=Willem |last6=Sauerwein |first6=Robert W. |last7=Logan |first7=James G. |title=Malaria Infected Mosquitoes Express Enhanced Attraction to Human Odor |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=8 |issue=5 |date=2013-05-15 |pmid=23691073 |pmc=3655188 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0063602 |page=e63602 |bibcode=2013PLoSO...863602S |doi-access=free }}</ref>
The head has an elongated, forward-projecting [[proboscis]] used for feeding, and two [[maxilla|maxillary palps]]. These palps carry the receptors for [[carbon dioxide]], a major attractant that enables the mosquito to locate its host. The [[Thorax (insect anatomy)|thorax]] is specialized for locomotion. Three pairs of legs and a pair of wings are attached to the thorax. The abdomen is specialized for food digestion and egg development. This segmented body part expands considerably when a female takes a blood meal. The blood is digested over time, serving as a source of [[protein]] for the production of eggs, which gradually fill the [[abdomen]].<ref name="cdc"/>

''Anopheles'' can be distinguished from other mosquitoes by the [[palp]]s, which are as long as the proboscis, and by the presence of discrete blocks of black and white scales on the wings. Adults can further be identified by their typical resting position: both sexes rest with their abdomens pointing up, unlike culicine mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes usually mate within a few days after emerging from the pupal stage. In most species, the males form large [[swarm]]s, usually around dusk, and the females fly into the swarms to mate. The duration from egg to adult varies considerably among species, and is strongly influenced by ambient temperature. Mosquitoes can develop from egg to adult in as little as five days, but it can take 10–14 days in tropical conditions.<ref name="cdc"/>

Males live for about a week, feeding on [[nectar]] and other sources of [[sugar]]. Males cannot feed on blood, as it appears to produce toxic effects and kills them within a few days, around the same lifespan as a water-only diet.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nikbakhtzadeh |first1=Mahmood R. |last2=Buss |first2=Garrison K. |last3=Leal |first3=Walter S. |date=2016-01-26 |title=Toxic Effect of Blood Feeding in Male Mosquitoes |journal=Frontiers in Physiology |volume=7 |pages=4 |doi=10.3389/fphys.2016.00004 |pmc=4726748 |pmid=26858651 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Females feed on sugar sources for energy, but usually require a blood meal for the development of eggs. After obtaining a full blood meal, the female rests for a few days while the blood is digested and eggs are developed. This process depends on the temperature, but usually takes 2–3 days in tropical conditions. Once the eggs are fully developed, the female lays them and resumes host-seeking. The cycle repeats itself until the female dies. While females can live longer than a month in captivity, most do not live longer than one to two weeks in nature. Their lifespans depend on temperature, humidity, and their ability to successfully obtain a blood meal while avoiding host defenses.<ref name="cdc"/>

<gallery mode=packed heights=350>
File:Anopheles female Turkhud (bw).png|Morphology of female ''Anopheles''
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