Different Types of Mosquitoes and How to Identify Them

Posted by Mosquito Squad

February 3, 2022

Have you ever seen an insect and thought it was a mosquito, but the size or color threw you off?

For many, this begs the question: Are there different kinds of mosquitoes? And if so, how many? To put it simply: There are thousands of different species of mosquitoes, but you’ll likely never interact with the majority of them.

The concern that many have is which species carry serious or even life-threatening diseases.

Read on to learn all about the different types of mosquitoes, where they can be found, and which species to be most wary of.

First, How Many Species of Mosquitoes Are There?

So exactly how many types of mosquitoes are there? Well, there are technically over 3,000 species of mosquitoes, but only 174 are found here in the US, with Texas hosting 85 species alone. Because female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at a time three different times throughout a lifespan, which, depending on the species, is anywhere between two and 24 weeks, it is estimated there are over 110 trillion mosquitoes on the planet at any given time!

Mosquitoes That Bite Humans

How many species of mosquitoes bite humans? Technically all species will bite humans. However, it’s only the females of each species that do the biting. Female mosquitoes depend on blood for protein to nourish their eggs. Both male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar for nutrients.

The Various Types of Mosquitoes

Although there are thousands of species of mosquitoes, only three transmit most diseases:

Culex
Aedes
Anopheles

Below we discuss each of the three most dangerous mosquito species:

Culex mosquitoes

Location: Though it depends on the exact subspecies, many Culex-genus mosquitoes can be found throughout the Central Plains of the U.S., a region running from central Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, along with some western and midwestern states. They prefer mild temperatures with rich vegetation. Studies have shown, however, that each Culex subspecies is sensitive to natural and human-influenced environmental factors, especially climate and land cover type.

Diseases: Also known as the house mosquito, Culex mosquitoes are most active at night during the summer months. They prefer to feed during and after dusk. Diseases transmitted by Culex-genus mosquitoes primarily include West Nile virus and Western equine encephalitis.

Identification: Culex mosquito identification varies depending on the specific species. The Northern house mosquito (scientific name Culex pipiens) has a brown or grayish body with brown wings, and it thrives in polluted or stagnant water.

Western encephalitis mosquitoes (scientific name Culex tarsalis) are found mainly in the Midwest and Western states. These mosquitoes are black with a white band on their proboscis (mouth) and stripes along their middle and hind legs. Southern house mosquitoes (scientific name Culex quinquefasciatus) carry St. Louis encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, and canine heartworm. They make their home in the American Southeast.

Bite: Culex-genus mosquitoes prefer to bite various species of birds. They only bite humans when birds are not nearby, which is why they often spread the West Nile virus.

Aedes mosquitoes

Location: Aedes-genus mosquitoes prefer tropical and subtropical areas of the world. However, they can be found nearly anywhere in the world besides Antarctica. In the U.S., they’re common in Southeast and Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, and sometimes Northeastern regions.

Diseases: Aedes mosquitoes include the inland floodwater mosquito (scientific name Aedes vexans), Asian tiger mosquito (scientific name Aedes albopictus), yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), tree-hole mosquito (Aedes triseriatus), and saltmarsh mosquito (scientific name Aedes sollicitans). This species carries diseases like Zika, dengue, yellow fever, St. Louis encephalitis, eastern and western equine encephalitis, and California encephalitis. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus transmit the majority of diseases humans catch from mosquitoes, such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya.

Identification: Aedes mosquito characteristics include a small, black body with white stripes on its legs and back. This pattern is created due to white or silver scale patches on these parts of the body.

Bite: Aedes mosquitoes can be sneaky, as they’re often more active during the day and approach from behind – usually biting the ankles or elbows.

Anopheles mosquitoes

Location: These mosquitoes prefer to breed in pools, small streams, irrigated lands, freshwater marshes, forest pools, and slow-moving water. In the US, they’re mainly found in the Eastern, Midwest, and Southeastern regions.

Diseases: Anopheles-genus mosquitoes, or Marsh mosquitoes, include roughly 460 species but only 30-40 are known to transmit the common anopheles mosquito disease: malaria. Anopheles gambiae is the most critical malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa. A child dies from malaria every other minute, and approximately 200 million new cases occur every year.

Identification: Anopheles mosquitoes have dark bodies with dark brown or black hairs. Anopheles quadrimaculatus have dark scales on their wings with patches of scales that form four darker spots on the wing.

Bite: Anopheles mosquitoes bite later in the evening or night and bite people and animals.

Protect Yourself with Mosquito Control Services from the Pros

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