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There are over 2,500 species of mosquitoes found throughout the world.
Both male and female mosquitoes are nectar feeders, but the females of many species are also capable of drinking blood from many mammals.
Females do not require blood for their own survival, but they do need supplemental substances such as proteins and iron to develop eggs.
Adult females lay their eggs in standing water, which can be a salt-marsh, a lake, a puddle, a natural reservoir on a plant, or an artificial water container such as a plastic bucket.
The first three stages are aquatic and last 514 days. Depending on the species and the ambient temperature, eggs hatch to become larvae, then pupae.
During the heat of the day most mosquitoes rest in a cool place and wait for the evenings, although they may still bite if disturbed.
Some species, like the Asian tiger mosquito, are known to fly and feed during daytime.
Mosquitoes are adept at infiltration and have been known to find their way into residences via deactivated air conditioning units
Only female mosquitoes bite animals and drink blood. Male mosquitoes do not bite, but feed on the nectar of flowers.
Aedes mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters, attacking during daylight hours (not at night). They do not enter dwellings, and they prefer to bite mammals like humans.
Aedes mosquitoes are strong fliers and are known to fly many miles from their breeding sources.
Culex mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters also, but prefer to attack at dusk and after dark, and readily enter dwellings for blood meals.
Domestic and wild birds are preferred over man, cows, and horses. Culex tarsalis is known to transmit encephalitis (sleeping sickness) to man and horses.
Culex are generally weak fliers and do not move far from home, although they have been known to fly up to two miles.
Culex usually live only a few weeks during the warm summer months.
Those females which emerge in late summer search for sheltered areas where they "hibernate" until spring. Warm weather brings her out in search of water on which to lay her eggs.
Culiseta mosquitoes are moderately aggressive biters, attacking in the evening hours or in shade during the day.
And the Malaria mosquito
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