Insecta of Medical

Importance [DipteraMosquito]
Dr G Kasonda

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, students are
expected to be able to:
Define diptera and mosquitoes
Describe distinguishing characteristics of
diptera and mosquito
Classify mosquito of medical importance
Describe life cycles of mosquito
Describe the way by which mosquitoes
transmit pathogens
Describe control measures of mosquitoes

Definition of Terms
Diptera is a branch of insecta which
describe the two winged insects e.g.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are slender, delicate two
winged flying insects

Distinguishing Features and

Characteristics of Diptera and Mosquitoes
Distinguishing Features of Diptera
Thorax consisting of fused segments and one
pair of wings.
Mosquitoes differ from other members of
diptera by:
o The elongated mouth parts of females are
adapted for piercing and sucking blood.
o The long 15-jointed antennae, plumose in
both males and in the females.
o The characteristics wing venation and scales.

The Structure of (Female)

Mosquito

Behaviour of Adult
Mosquitoes
Only females suck blood
Biting: Diurnal(biting during the day time) or nocturnal
(biting during the night)
Feeding: Endophagic (indoors) or exophagic (outdoors)
Feeding preferences: Anthropophilic (on human);
zoophilic (on animals); ornithophilic (in the soil)
Resting: Endophilic (After feeding some blood, mosquitoes
prefer to rest indoors) or exophilic (resting outdoors)
o All these behaviours have implications in disease
transmission and control methodologies .

Classification and Life Cycle of

Mosquitoes
Classification
Mosquitoes of medical importance fall under
the family culicidae which form the groups
of Anopheline and Culicine group.
In Anopheline group there is one important
genus.
o Anopheles
In culicine group there are three important
genera which include:
o Aedes, Culex and Mansonia.

Life Cycle
Female anopheles mosquitoes feed on blood before they lay
eggs.
After blood meal, they lay eggs (oviposit).
o This process takes three days.
Usually a single mosquito lays 30-300 eggs at each oviposition.
o Eggs are laid singly or in rafts on water or wet surfaces, most
do not survive desiccation.
Eggs hatch into larvae in stagnant water.
o Mosquito eggs hatch in three days if the environment is
humid and temperature is high

 Larvae develop into pupae.

Pupae are comma shaped and
motile.
Pupae release adult.
Mosquitoes mate shortly after
emergence from pupae.
The whole life cycle takes 7 days
under favourable conditions.

Life Cycle of Mosquito

Distinguishing Characteristics
of Different Stages of
Development of Three
Mosquitoes Anopheles, Aedes
and Culex

Key: an = antennae, la = labella, p = proboscis, pa =

palp

Pathogen Transmission by
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes transmit pathogens by
bite.
Pathogens that are transmitted by
mosquitoes are:
o Malaria parasites (plasmodium).
o Larvae stage of filaria worms.
o Yellow fever viruses, dengue fever
viruses, rift valley fever viruses and
other arboviruses.

Control Measures of
Mosquitoes
Adult mosquitoes are controlled by using
insecticides
o Use of Insecticides Treated Nets (ITNs)
o Organochlorides (OCS) e.g. DDT
o Organophosphates (ops) e.g.
malathion
o Fenitrothion
o Chlopyriphos
o Pyrethroids; carbamates.

Larval Measures
Environnemental management. Source
reduction
o Destroy breeding places
- Filling in ponds
- Drain and remove stagnant water
-Burry or cover containers
-Intermittent flushing and flooding
o Sanitation systems
o Polystyrene beads
o Removal of aquatic vegetation

 Biological control: Use of predators

and pathogens
o Fish: Gambusia, Tilapia and
Northobranchius
o Mosquitoes: Toxorhynchites
o Fungi
o Nematodes

 Larvicides
o Organophosphates
o Pyrethroids: Permethrin,
Deltamethrin
o Insect Growth Regulators(IGRS)
e.g. Methopren, Diflubenzuron
o Biocides: Bacillus thuringiensis,
Bacillus Sphaericus.
o Use of herbicides: Diquat or
Pentachlorophenol

Key Points
Diptera is a branch of insecta which describe the two
winged insects.
Thorax consisting of fused segments and one pair of wings
Mosquitoes of medical importance fall under the family
culicidae which form the groups of Anopheline and Culicine
group.
Only female anopheles mosquito sucks blood and
introduces the parasites.
Mosquitoes are controlled by using insecticides,
environmental management, source
reduction, biological control and larvicides

Evaluation
What are the features which
distinguish mosquitoes from other
flies?
What are the behaviours of adult
mosquitoes?
What are the pathogens transmitted
by mosquitoes?

 T H A N K

YO U.