All about the life of a mosquito and its longevity. How long do mosquitoes live in different living conditions?

Mosquitoes today are distributed throughout almost the entire territory of our planet. The only place, where you cannot find this insect is Antarctica. Scientifically, there are more than three thousand species of mosquitoes, about a hundred of them live in our country. Despite the fact that each of us is well familiar with this “bloodsucker,” not everyone knows how long the common mosquito lives and what it is like. life cycle.

Lifespan of mosquitoes

Scientists have found that the lifespan of a common mosquito depends on several factors:

• Habitats.
• Air temperatures.
• Insect feeding.

Wherein, the most important factor is exactly temperature regime insect life. In addition, it has also been established that female mosquitoes live almost 2 times longer than males, although the reason for this difference has not yet been established by scientists.

So, the life expectancy of a mosquito, or rather its female, will be as follows:

• About 43 days at 25°C
• 58 days – at 20°C.
• 114 days – at 15°C.
• 119 days – at 10°C.

Accordingly, in each of these cases, the male’s life will be half as long.

On your own life path the insect goes through several stages of development.

A new individual hatches from an egg that was laid by a female in stagnant water. It is in the reservoir that the first stage of the insect’s life – the larva – will take place. During this period, the mosquito is very similar to a small worm, which, despite its small size, passes through itself up to a liter of water per day. Thanks to this, he provides himself with food - collecting the smallest pieces that are in the water. Some types of such larvae are used by fishermen, making them into bait for fishing - bloodworms.

The larvae breathe through special respiratory tracts, which are located in the back of the body and are exposed to the surface of the water.

As we wrote above, the average life expectancy of a mosquito will depend on its gender, habitat and temperature. Thus, an adult male mosquito lives on average about 20 days, but a female mosquito lives at least 40. Often the lifespan of these insects is shortened for the following reasons:

• Exposure to high temperatures.
• Oversaturation.
• Cold.
• Malnutrition.
• The mosquito is eaten by an insectivore or destroyed by a person.

How many days does a mosquito live after being bitten?

To begin with, it is worth clarifying the fact that only female mosquitoes feed on blood, while males consume nectar. In addition, they need blood not so much to satiate themselves as to breed offspring.

If after fertilization the female mosquito is not saturated with blood, this does not mean that she will not be able to lay eggs, but such a situation will have consequences: firstly, the offspring in this case will be very weak, and the female herself will most likely die will die.

If the female breeds after being saturated with blood, this will not only create a stronger young generation of mosquitoes, but will also save her life.

Thus, we can confidently say that the common belief that a mosquito bite leads to its death is wrong. A sexually mature female is able to feed about 8 times in a few hours, while feeling quite well.

The answer to the question of how long a mosquito lives after biting a person can only be this: after a bite, a mosquito lives from a few seconds (if you killed it in the process of sucking blood) to several months, if no circumstances disrupt its life cycle.

Another interesting fact is that, despite the fact that high temperatures have a negative impact on the life expectancy of mosquitoes, they are quite thermophilic. Surely, you have noticed that when entering a room, mosquitoes often accumulate under the ceiling, where the air is usually warmer.

Mosquito refers to Diptera family, long-whiskered group. It has transparent functioning wings, three pairs of thin long legs and an oblong body. A pair of antennae and a proboscis are noticeable on the head, with the help of which the insect pierces the wall of a blood vessel, making a bite.

In Russia alone there are more than 100 species of mosquitoes, and in the world there are more than 3000. They have spread across all continents globe, even to a continent with constant sub-zero temperatures - Antarctica. In tropical regions, bloodsuckers are active all year round due to the warm humid climate, in mid-latitudes they overwinter in a state of diapause, and in the Arctic they remain active for only about two weeks.

Surprisingly, males eat plant sap and flower nectar. They never bite warm-blooded animals; they have no need to do so. Mosquitoes only irritate with their annoying squeaking and buzzing over the ear, and Only females bite. They can also feed on nectar, but they require mosquitoes to reproduce. protein needed. Having received this from the blood construction material, the female lays eggs. The maturation of an insect from an egg to an active adult state takes only a week, going through several stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• chrysalis;
• imago (adult).

It is believed that after being bitten by a female mosquito, she will live for just a few hours, but this opinion is erroneous. Lipids from the blood make it stronger and more energetic, and do not shorten life. If the female does not find the victim and does not bite, then after hatching the offspring she will weaken and may die, and the brood will contain frail and small mosquitoes.

Upon reaching maturity, the female lays up to 150 eggs every three days on a damp surface or on water. The eggs mature for 1-3 days, then they hatch into larvae that feed on bacteria and microorganisms from the water. This state lasts about a week, during which the larva molts several times, turning into a pupa. After 3-4 days, new mosquitoes emerge from the cocoons, which will be ready to mate within 5-6 days.

How long does a common mosquito live?

Physiologically, the life of females is doubled longer life male, even taking into account the fact that males are less at risk of being killed. Average duration The life of a mosquito depends on the temperature of its habitat:

At favorable conditions and proper nutrition, the average life expectancy of insects is 41-45 days. Blood increases it for 3-6 days.

A number of factors shorten the life of bloodsuckers:

• glut;
• low or high temperatures;
• lack of nutrition;
• chemical poisoning;
• the risk of being killed when biting;
• serve as food for insectivorous birds and animals.

By and large low temperatures mosquitoes are not so scary. In winter, insects continue to live, falling into diapause. This state is similar to suspended animation, but not as deep. It can occur any number of times at any stage of development. This is a kind of break, slowing down the metabolism for the period necessary for survival.

How long does a mosquito live in an apartment?

The penetration of insects into human habitation often goes unnoticed. During the day, they hide in dark places, hide in cracks, and sit quietly behind furniture. After sunset the flyers are activated. An annoying buzzing noise interferes with evening rest, and numerous bites force you to spend sleepless nights. It seems as if there are hordes of insects in the apartment. In fact, it can be 3-4 mosquitoes, among which only 1-2 are females, because the female can make as many bites as he wants during the night.

There are several facts that influence the life expectancy of an insect outside natural conditions. Various poisonous and repellent agents are used in human homes to kill mosquitoes. Fumigators are widespread and can be found in almost every home. In addition, when bitten, a person feels a sharp pain, which causes an immediate reaction in the form of a slap with the palm.

If you do not use third-party means of destruction, the male will still not live long. There is little nectar in the apartment, and the lack of food will affect you quite quickly. However, the female can live quite comfortably for two months, feeding on the blood of humans or domestic animals. And if fertilization occurs, she can even produce decent offspring by laying eggs in a dark, damp place, for example, under a bathtub.

The life of a mosquito does not last long, and its standard duration is most often shortened due to many factors. However, this does not prevent swarms of mosquitoes from bothering people and animals throughout the warm period of the year, and sometimes reminding themselves of themselves in winter. So how much time for existence is measured by nature for these seemingly indestructible and omnipresent insects? And what determines their lifespan?

The photo shows the life cycle of an insect

Mosquitoes have existed on our planet for several tens of millions of years. They have adapted perfectly to life in different regions the globe, and today there are about 3,000 species of these insects. About 100 of them live in Russia.

The lifespan of a mosquito depends on:

• species affiliation;
• insect sex;
• food availability;
• ambient temperature and humidity;
• the presence of shelters and a suitable environment for development during the larval stage;
• the number of animals that eat mosquitoes in a particular region;
• the ability to hibernate;
• luck and resourcefulness of a particular individual.

Most of all, squeaking mosquitoes annoy humans and warm-blooded animals; their species name is the common mosquito. Squeaks are distributed almost everywhere, their population is huge. To figure out how long a mosquito lives, let’s look at each point in more detail and consider them using the example of this species.

Lifespan of the common mosquito

Female squeaker mosquitoes live approximately twice as long as males, although the lifestyle of males is associated with much lower risks to life. In this type of insect, males feed exclusively on plant nectar, while females vitally need blood during the breeding season, and they are constantly at risk of being killed when biting, because for the victim their bite does not go unnoticed.

Many females die just during the meal, but under favorable circumstances they are able to live up to 4 months (excluding the stage of larval development and possible hibernation) and produce numerous offspring. For an extremely long life, in addition to the availability of food, humidity and a certain temperature regime are also necessary.

So, the female will live a maximum:

• 43 days at t +25°C;
• 58 days at t +20°C;
• 114-119 days at t +10..+15°C.

The life of a male mosquito at the same temperatures, accordingly, will be half as long as the indicated periods, but most often it does not exceed 20 days at all. While the life of a female can last 1 year in total.

At temperatures below +10°C, mosquitoes become inactive, and at 0°C they fall into torpor. And the onset of heat and drought sharply reduce the population of these insects.

Mosquitoes live mainly in shady areas wet forests, near swamps and any bodies of water, especially standing and low-flow ones, which they need to breed offspring.

How many days a mosquito will live is also affected by the number and activity of insectivorous birds and the predatory insects that feed on them. In nature, mosquitoes try to hide in dense vegetation because open areas There is nowhere for them to hide from their pursuers.

How long does a female mosquito live without blood and after a bite?

The statement that mosquitoes die almost immediately after being bitten is fundamentally contrary to the truth. The better a female mosquito eats, the longer she lives. She needs blood not only to maintain strength, but also to form strong offspring. The female, saturated with blood, will lay many eggs, from which new tenacious insects will be born.

Without blood, the female's life is shortened several times. If after fertilization the female was unable to bite anyone, she will still lay eggs, but they will develop into weak offspring, most of which will simply die. After this, the female herself will most likely also die, because her body will give up its last strength to the offspring.

Cycle and duration of larval development

The female is capable of biting every few hours. The eggs in her abdomen are formed as she digests a portion of the blood she drinks. Every 2-3 days, the mosquito lays eggs in the water of a suitable body of water (including puddles), on plants or in moist soil.

At one time, the mosquito lays 20-300 eggs, from which larvae develop in about 2-8 days. The larva pupates after 20 days, and after a few more days an adult mosquito emerges from the pupa.

How and where mosquitoes overwinter in nature and in human homes

Typically, the life cycle of a mosquito begins and ends in nature. Adult insects and their larvae, which have not completed the full development cycle, are capable of falling into torpor with the onset of the first frost and until a steady spring thaw. They spend the winter in cracks in the bark or under a layer of fallen leaves, in vegetable stores, and outbuildings. IN tropical forests mosquitoes live and breed all year round.

In an apartment, the mosquito feels quite good, especially if there are secluded, damp corners where it can comfortably and safely wait for the right moment to attack household members. But if the female managed to get into a person’s house, then after the bite she, as a rule, soon tries to get outside and find a wet pond for laying larvae.

However, the female can lay larvae right in or near the house, for example, in a barrel where water for watering beds settles, in a water trough for livestock, or in a damp basement. In warm and humid basements of residential buildings, the population of these blood-sucking insects can be renewed and exist all year round.

Summer is the most anticipated time of year in the world. I want sea, sun and relaxation. But we often forget about the disadvantages of this season, which undoubtedly exist. For example, about small and annoying mosquitoes. Sometimes it seems that they exist always and everywhere. Is it so?

Where do mosquitoes live?

The answer to this question is simple: all over the planet. Everywhere except cold Antarctica. More than three thousand species of bloodsuckers are known: some live in tropical forests, others in temperate climates.

• The main habitats of these insects are always associated with humans, because humans are the main source of food (despite the fact that mosquitoes also feed on nectar, human blood and animal blood are a necessary component for them, since it is in the female’s blood that eggs are formed) .
• The higher climatic temperature in a certain area, the greater the likelihood of meeting these insects (they do not really like the cold).

• Most of all, mosquitoes love wetlands where there is high humidity. For them this is the most favorable place for reproduction.
• Blood-sucking creatures prefer to live in bodies of water with stagnant water, where there are many different viruses (which is why they are carriers of infections).

To get rid of mosquitoes, our readers recommend the Pest-Reject mosquito repeller. The operation of the device is based on the technology of electromagnetic pulses and ultrasonic waves! Absolutely safe, environmentally friendly product for humans and pets.

It should be noted that the habitat of insects is changing, they are adapting to a colder climate (they are found in places where they could not imagine before). Some scientists suggest that in the future these bloodsucking creatures will be able to live in Antarctica.

How long do mosquitoes live?

The lifespan of a mosquito is not the same as, for example, a butterfly or an ant. For this lover of biting, it takes an order of magnitude longer. Life expectancy depends on the following factors:

1. Floor(males live much less than females: males live only three weeks, while females live on average about three months, and with a fortunate combination of circumstances they can live for a whole year if they hibernate for the winter).
2. Food(the better the female eats, the more strength she has to lay eggs and stay alive, but if the nutrition is not enough, the female will lay eggs, from which small and weak mosquitoes will appear, and she will die).
3. Air temperature(these insects can adapt to any temperature):

• 23 and above degrees Celsius - the life expectancy of an individual is 43 days;
• 20-23 degrees - 58 days;
• 15-20 degrees - 114 days;
• 10-15 degrees - 119 days.

Of course, circumstances such as the actions of a person (mechanical destruction) or an insect (which preyed on a mosquito) should also be taken into account.

In addition, there is an opinion that the bloodsucker dies immediately after being bitten. We will have to upset those who thought so. The lifespan of this insect does not depend on how many it bites and how much blood it drinks. A raider can die after being bitten only in one case: he is swatted away by a dissatisfied person who was bitten.

Life cycle of mosquitoes (video)

So, as you can imagine, getting rid of these annoying insects is not so easy. They live everywhere and live long. Fortunately, in our progressive age, many ways to combat them have been invented. Apply cream or plug the device into a power outlet, and sleep peacefully, without thinking about how long the mosquito buzzing in your ear will live.

The passion for mosquitoes begins in May, when the sun becomes brighter, the trees turn green, and nature generously gives warmth. The life of annoying mosquitoes is short, but many have wondered: how long does the common mosquito live? As it turned out, factors such as temperature and food quality prolong the life of insects.

Female or male

The female mosquito is the bloodsucker, and the males feed on nectar. At the same time, the insect needs blood to breed offspring. If the female does not drink enough blood, the offspring will not survive or will be weak, and she herself will quickly die. Female mosquitoes live twice as long as males. Surprisingly, it is the female that produces that same shrill and sonorous squeak.

Coolness prolongs life

Mosquitoes prefer temperatures ranging from 10 to 25 degrees above zero. The most suitable conditions for mosquitoes to live are a moist, cool environment at a temperature of 10 degrees. Ideally, this is a body of water near a person’s home in middle lane. It is in such conditions that a female mosquito can live 119 days, and a male - 54. At 15 degrees, the female lives 114 days, and at 25 - 43. Nature gave the female more life due to the need to reproduce offspring. By the way, not only mosquitoes need coolness. In humans, the aging process slows down at a temperature of 15 degrees.

Why does nature need mosquitoes?

Everything in the world is interconnected and there are no unnecessary creatures. Mosquitoes are excellent food for birds, frogs and dragonflies. Even a spider, having caught a mosquito in its web, will not deny itself lunch. Fish feed on mosquito larvae on the surface of water bodies. In harsh climatic conditions Arctic mosquitoes are an indispensable and only food for northern birds. So mosquitoes, like other creatures, are links in the same chain.

Why is a mosquito dangerous?

Asian and African mosquito species carry serious infections, and therefore their bites can cause harm to humans. The malaria mosquito is a carrier of malaria. Common mosquito bites can cause allergies. Mosquitoes are least interested in a clean, freshly washed body. The use of creams with complex chemical composition harms the person even more. It turns out that soap and closed clothing - the best remedy from mosquitoes. But if a person is in the forest, taiga, or near a pond, then bites can only be avoided by using protective equipment, for example, “Taiga-1”.

Video on the topic